Shokugeki no Sōma: Nashi Saito de Chīfu
by Gale-Dragon
Summary: Ever since he picked up a kitchen knife at age three, Sōma knew he wanted to be a chef. For twelve years, he cooked in the kitchen of his family diner. But he doesn't cook like you or me. No, he has his own cooking style, and that style will change the world of cooking forever. After all, Sōma's blind.
1. 1: The Entrance Exam

Gale-Dragon: This is what I get for my easily distracted mind... I really should have worked on Amefuto isn't Just for Boys, oh well, enjoy.

Betaed by The Undying Will

~}i{~

Notes:

"Talking"

'Thinking'

(Author making comment)

~}i{~

Shokugeki no Sōma: Nashi Saito de Chīfu. Chapter 1: The Entrance Exam.

~}i{~

Nakiri Erina and her assistant/best friend Arato Hisako walked into the hall where the Entrance Exam was being held. There had to be at least fifty students in the room, most of them gasped in fear when they saw Erina, heiress to the Nakiri Food Empire and the one with the tongue known as the Divine Tongue, or God's Palate.

"What are the guidelines for this test?" Erina asked Hisako, who looked at a clipboard and said. "First, interviews in groups of ten based on application. Next, each candidate will cook two or three trial dishes. Those who pass this stage will then–" Erina interrupted by saying that all of that was tedious. After a few seconds, the honey blond told the pinkette to bring her the ingredient counter.

Once the looooooong cart of ingredients came to a stop, Erina picked up a single egg and stated that this object will be the main ingredient and added. "Each of you will prepare one dish. Those who please my palate will earn entrance to the Totsuki Saryo Culinary Institute. However, for the next one minute only, I will accept all withdrawals from this test without question."

A stampede of feet rushed towards the door.

"Was that wise?" Hisako asked Erina, who replied. "You saw them. They were a pack of talentless incompetents. My time is too precious to waste on the worthless. This clears my schedule for the day, correct? *Hisako nods* Then I will return to my private kitchen and work on a new recipe." Hisako was oozing with utter joy over the thought of a new dish from the honey blond.

"Well, excuse us for wanting to take this test and wasting your so called "precious time", princess. In all honesty, if you didn't want to oversee this entrance exam, then you should have gotten someone else to do this," said a voice from the side, which immediately got Erina's and Hisako's attention.

There standing in the middle of the room were two fifteen-year-old teens. One was a boy with short spiky natural blazing red hair, wore black slacks and shirt, had a scar over his left brow, and had golden yellow eyes that seemed to glare in the light. The other was a girl with short rounded brownish-black hair, wore her junior high school uniform (for girls btw) had cocoa colored eyes. "Sōma, you could've said it in a more polite tone," the girl stated plainly.

The boy, Sōma then stated equally as plainly. "Yeah, I could've Mayu, but if evaluating potential students for this school is 'a waste of her precious time' then she shouldn't have even agreed to do this."

The girl, Mayu, sighed. "That is a good point."

"Wait, are the two of you actually willing to take MY test? There's still time for you to withdraw," Erina said as calmly as possible despite the fact that this boy was being rude to HER. She figured that the boy didn't know who she was, yes, that was it; no one who knew who she was would EVER talk to her in such a manner.

With a smirk, Sōma said "Nope, I'm not withdrawing. I'm here to take an entrance exam to get into this school unless you have better things to do with your 'precious time', princess. If so, then I think I'll send a nice call to your grandfather stating that you refused to do your job as an entrance examiner, I'm sure he'll be less than pleased that his so-called heir didn't want to do her job."

Mayu scoffed. "Not to mention she's practically being an utter disgrace to the Elite Ten as a seat."

Both Erina and Hisako's eyes widened. These two KNEW exactly who the honey blond was!

With that smirk still on his face, Sōma stated. "Yeah, we know who you are princess, and we don't care. From what Pops tells us about this place, cooking is the only thing that actually matters and that pedigree is second at best. So, unless you can somehow see and taste the food into the future, you still got a job to do."

Mayu then said. "If I recall correctly, the main ingredient was an egg. So, as long as that is featured, it doesn't matter what you make, Sōma."

The red head unraveled a white bandanna from around his left wrist and tied it around his head, causing his hair to move away from his eyes. "I've got the perfect dish in mind, Secret Menu Item #8."

Mayu smirked. "Oh? I wonder if the princess isn't too high up on her horse to try it."

Now Erina was red with rage. These two were just talking about her like she wasn't even in the room!

Sōma smirked. "If she doesn't even bother to taste it, we'll just call Nariki Senzaemon and tell him that his granddaughter wasn't doing her job properly. Pops said to drop his old name if that happens."

With a smile, Mayu said. "Okay~, now let's grab some ingredients so you can start cooking."

"Hisako! Who are these two?!" Erina whispered with anger as soon as the duo had turn away from them. Hisako quickly flipped through the papers to find the two. After a few minutes, Sōma was already started cooking, after Mayu organized the ingredients. Hisako found the transcript for Sōma, but she didn't find Mayu's transcript.

Before either the pinkette or the honey blond could read the all of the red head's transcript (they only read that the boy's name was Yukihira Sōma), the brunette snatched the paper out of the assistance's hands. Mayu waved the paper a bit. "You can read this AFTER you actually try his dish. The last thing I want happening is for my twin is for a closed minded princess to show prejudice against him."

Erina glared at the brunette when she thought 'How dare she-! Wait? Twin?' "You two are related?" The honey blond asked, now with a completely shocked look on her face.

"Yes, we're fraternal twins (1), Sōma's older," Mayu said with a calm look on her face. Erina and Hisako looked at the brunette, then at the cooking red head, back at the brunette, and now at the red head again.

'Those two don't look like they're related,' The blond and the pinkette thought at the same time.

"Seriously? You two never seen fraternal twins before? Not all twins HAVE to look similar you know." Mayu stated plainly, she seemed to know what the two were thinking.

~}i{~

Ten minutes after Sōma started cooking, Erina still couldn't figure out what the red head was making. All she knew was that he was steaming rice in a large pot and had an even bigger pot cooking something she couldn't see. Another thing that puzzled Erina was Sōma's movements as he cooked.

When he cut the spring onions, he held a small, thin metal rod in-between his left index and middle fingers as he chopped the green food with his right. As soon as the knife hit the metal rod, Sōma would stop cutting, place the knife down, and felt the spring onion. 'Why would he need to use a metal rod while cutting?' Erina wondered.

When Sōma would need to taste something on the stove, he held his hand at shoulder level and waved it over the stove. When the red head felt the heat from the pot's contents, he lowered his hand a bit and moved that hand around the steam until he felt the ladle handle. Once Sōma finished tasting the food, he'd tap the ladle on the edge of the pot before placing it back in. 'Eesh, the pot's right in front of your face,' Erina thought with a slightly peeved look on her face.

The eggs finally came out, and once again Sōma made strange movements. Erina watched as he held a small bowl with his left hand in place and held an egg in his right hand. What the honey blond thought was really odd was the fact that the red head gently slid the egg on the counter until it softly hit the bowl, rather than simply picking it up. Sōma traced the side of the bowl with the egg until it reached the rim. With a swift flick of the wrist, the red head cracked the egg on that rim and skillfully dumped the egg's content in the bowl with just his right hand. Sōma walked over to the sink dropped the eggshell in it, walked back to the yolk filled bowl, traced his fingers across the table until he found a pair of chopsticks, and started whisking the yolk and egg whites.

Erina wasn't sure what annoyed her more, the fact she couldn't figure out what he was making or the fact that all of those weird movements were distracting her thoughts about the dish.

"Mayu, could you help me with the plates?" Sōma asked his sister, who happily said sure and walked to her brother, with the transcript in hand.

'Seriously? This guy can't even prepare a dish on a plate,' Erina thought sourly as she watched as the brunette used the ladle to scoop rice onto a white bowl as the red head cut something up and carefully placed it into a square cup.

The honey blond wanted to know what it was, so she quietly walked to where she could see the object better. Erina didn't get the chance to look. The moment she got in view of the food, she saw that Sōma wasn't even looking at what he was doing! The honey blond took a step back, she thought that the light was playing tricks on her; because it looked like the red head's eyes seemed glazed over. Erina quietly walked backward to where she was originally standing. It didn't seem like Sōma saw her.

~}i{~

Mayu placed the bowl of white rice in front of Erina and Hisako. 'What's that for?' both thought at the same time as the red head held up the squared cup full of scrambled eggs. Hisako noticed that something glittering underneath those eggs.

"Would you like to do the honors, Mayu?" Sōma asked his twin, whom smiled and said, "I would love to." The brunette took the square cup and simply dumped the eggs and the translucent gold cubes onto the steaming rice.

After two seconds, the golden cubes started melting onto the rice and eggs. Erina could smell the scent of chicken in the air. "This is Yukihira Family Restaurant's Secret Menu Item #8, Morphing Furikake Rice," Sōma said with a smile as Mayu sprinkled some of the chopped spring onion onto the dish.

It... Looked... Really good...

Erina flipped her hair and said. "Fine, I'll give you the honor of me tasting your dish."

"Whatever you say, princess." Sōma stated as he slid the steaming bowl to the honey blond, "Dig in."

Erina picked up a pair of chopsticks and carefully picked up a bit of the golden covered rice and egg. It smelt heavenly, as the honey blond placed the food into her mouth.

Erina was utterly lost in the heavenly taste of the food.

"So what's the verdict princess?" Sōma asked as Mayu held back a chuckle. Erina flushed red. How could SHE forget to actually judge the dish!

"It's ok to take another bite, I'm sure you can make time," Mayu said with a cheerily evil smile.

"SH-SHUT UP! I just want to be sure before I make my decision!" Erina stuttered out before taking her second bite.

"You used an Aspic," Erina said once she realized what the texture was.

"Bingo! Those gelatin cubes under the egg are Chicken Aspic," Sōma said with a smile. So THAT was what the red head was cooking in the enormous pot.

That was when Erina thought. 'I see, in other words... The Aspic is really a thick, rich and savory soup! The full-bodied and salty flavor of the Aspic broth brings out the soft, mild sweetness of the egg perfectly. Not only that, each bite is a heaven of fluffy smoothness. In every way, the Aspic is emphasizing and magnifying the deliciousness of the egg!'

The honey blond took another bit of the dish. Erina flushed as she thought 'This Flavor! It's unlike anything I have ever tasted before! It's almost like being stroked by the soft, white feathers of angels!'

"Hisako, hand me my stamp!" Erina gasped through pleasure. The pinkette nodded and handed the honey blond a PASS stamp. Mayu handed Erina the transcript and the blond immediately stamped the paper without reading a single word written on it.

"Congratulations, you're officially a student of Totsuki Saryo Culinary Institute," Erina said coolly the moment she regained her composure and stated. "You will receive a Letter of Acceptance in the mail in a week or so, and the Entrance Ceremony will be in a month. So don't be late."

With a smile, Sōma said. "Thank you for your time."

"Now that this is out of the way, let's head home and tell Pops," Mayu said with a cheery smile.

The red head smiled, "He'll be really happy I got in," and walked out of the hall with his twin. Hisako looked through the papers again, and still no transcript saying that the girl was here to transfer. So, why did she even bother to come here? Was it to cheer her twin brother on? Or was there another reason for her to be here?

Erina closed her eyes and gave a sigh in relief, she was glad this was over. When she opened her eyes, she looked at the transcript. "His family owns a small diner in a shopping district..." Erina muttered out. Exactly three seconds later the honey blond shouted. "A SECOND-RATE COOK MANAGED TO PLEASE MY PALATE! HOW THE HELL IS THAT POSSIBLE?!"

"Erina-sama, calm down," Hisako said gently as she rubbed the heiress's shoulders and added. "It was a lucky dish, nothing more. Besides, he won't last long at Totsuki."

Erina immediately calmed down at that thought.

"You're right, Hisako, you're absolutely right. A second-rate chief like him won't last a week, and I'm going to enjoy the moment he gets expelled from Totsuki. Serves him right for tricking my Divine Palate," the honey blond said calmly as she flipped her long hair.

Unbeknownst to Erina and Hisako, Nariki Senzaemon saw and heard the entire thing. Once the girls left, leaving the innocent paper behind, the Headmaster of Totsuki Saryo Culinary Institute walked into the room and took a bite of the Morphing Furikake Rice. The muscular elderly man grinned. This dish was perfect for his school! Senzaemon looked at the entire transcript, his eyes widened at a certain part of it. With a smile back on his face, the Headmaster said to himself. "No doubt about it, this boy is not just perfect for Totsuki, he WILL usher in a bright new age for chefs starting at Totsuki."

~}i{~ One Month Later ~}i{~

Erina finished her speech and was now sitting in her seat listening to her grandfather telling every single student that made it to the high school division that only 1% of them will actually graduate as diamonds from Totsuki. She pitied them, or at least the ones that were the same age as her, mostly because she thought that the best they could achieve at Totsuki would be second place. The honey blond assumed that she would obviously be in first place. "And now, a few words from the only student to transfer into this school, I must ask that all of you be patient for a moment," Senzaemon said, ending his speech as he walked off the stage. Erina frowned at that, she felt insulted that a second-rate chief actually made a dish that satisfied her tongue. Oh, she couldn't wait until he flunked out.

Tap, tap, tap.

"What is that annoying sound," Erina asked in an annoyed tone. Hisako immediately stated she didn't know.

Tap, tap, tap.

"Is it always easy for you to get annoyed, princess?" asked someone walking up to the honey blond and pinkette. The moment the two turned their heads, the owner of the voice stopped walking.

It was Yukihira Mayu. "What are you doing here? You never even cooked me a dish," Erina said in a huff.

"Oh? The Headmaster didn't tell you? I have special permission to be here," Mayu said with a smile.

"Why would Grandfather give YOU special permission to be here? You're from a diner and you probably don't even cook," the honey blond asked in a snooty tone (well, not to be rude or bash Erina, but she IS asking in a rather rude tone).

Tap, tap, tap.

With an evil glint in her eyes, Mayu said harshly. "This was precisely why I called you a closed-minded princess. You immediately assume that I can't cook because I never cooked a dish for you during the transfer exam AND you are being a brat because Sōma cooked a dish that had you quaking in pleasure even though he was from a diner. I bet neither of you never read the rest transcript after you saw that our family runs a diner."

Erina raised a brow and asked, "So what if I didn't?"

"Then you are nothing more than a closed-minded brat who can't even see past your nose," Mayu spat with venom as she walked by towards the stage.

Hisako was about to say something when Senzaemon stated. "She has a point."

"Grandfather! How could you let her be rude to me! And what do you mean by her having a point!" Erina asked with reddened cheeks.

Senzaemon stared at his granddaughter for a second before saying "Would you have even bothered trying Yukihira's dish if you knew his background?" The honey blond opened her mouth to say something but closed it right away. The Nakiri Head was right; Erina wouldn't have given the red head a chance. "He's on stage now. I want you to pay close attention to him. He's the one that will help you forget about That Person," Senzaemon stated as he pointed towards the stage.

The honey blond huffed as she thought 'How could that boy help me forget Him?'

The moment Hisako and Erina's eyes landed on the red head, they knew something was off.

~}i{~

Yukihira Sōma was standing in the center of the stage, in his new school uniform, holding a white cane in his left hand, and standing in front of the mic that Senzaemon was using earlier.

Sōma took a deep breath and said into the mic "Ano, well, to start off... I'm glad I got accepted into the school my dad graduated from." Erina couldn't help but notice the red head's eyes. Those yellow eyes were glazed over! Just like during the entrance exam! So it wasn't the lighting!

Wait a minute...

Sōma continued his speech. "And just like my dad, I'll be taking the top spot at this school. So, don't be afraid to challenge me to a cook off~, but I'm telling you guys now that I don't plan on losing to anyone who has never served a single customer."

The red head tapped his cane and smiled. "If any of you are wondering why I have this *indicates the cane*, I have it because I'm completely blind~."

'SAY WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!' everyone in the audience thought at the same time.

Sōma now had a serious look on his face. "But, just because I can't see doesn't mean you should go easy on me, in fact, _I WILL UTTERLY DESTROY ANYONE WHO DARE UNDERESTIMATES ME BECAUSE OF MY BLINDNESS_."

Sōma then bowed, "I hope we all can get along for the next three years," and walked away from the mic, tapping his cane along the way.

What just happened?

Mayu helped Sōma walk down the steps of the stage.

~}i{~

Erina couldn't help but watch in utter shock as Sōma walked by tapping his cane with each step. The red head made absolutely no indication that he saw anything before him.

Now all of those weird things Sōma did during the entrance exam made sense to Erina. The thin metal rod he held between his fingers, feeling around for stuff, and the fact that he couldn't prepare the entire dish by himself. It all made sense.

Mayu glared at Erina as she and her twin walked by.

As soon as the twins were out of sight and hearing range, Senzaemon said to Hisako and Erina, more to the honey blond "Erina, just forget his background and just remember that he will be the one to change the cooking industry for the better. Also, you might want to apologize to the two of them for your behavior." With that, the headmaster left his granddaughter and her friend to their thoughts.

Erina couldn't help but wonder though, how could a blind chef change the world or even cook a dish?

~}i{~ Chapter 1; End. ~}i{~

1; I made Mayu and Sōma twins in this fanfic because A) I wanted to and B) I didn't want to create an OC to be Sōma's helper.

~}i{~

Gale-Dragon: I'd figure I'd do a different kind of Shokugeki no Sōma. Reviews would be nice.


	2. 2: First Class

Shokugeki no Sōma: Nashi Saito de Chīfu. Chapter 2; First Class

Betaed by The Undying Will

~}i{~

Notes:

"Talking"

'Thinking'

(Author making comment)

~}i{~

Gale-Dragon: To reviewer Puzzling, the blind chef on the Gordon Ramsey Show (or Master Chef) was named Christine Ha. In all honesty, I don't watch the show so I didn't know about her. So Thanks for mentioning her ;-).

~}i{~

The Yukihira twins were walking down a hallway to Sōma's next class. The red head's cane scratched the floor every so often.

"Mayu, you sure you're going to be able to do your online classes AND help with my plates here?" Sōma asked his twin sister as she looked for the classroom (or kitchen class).

Mayu smiled. "Don't worry Sōma, as long as I have a good connection to the internet, a computer, and complete all my work by the deadlines, I'll be fine."

Sōma smiled. "The Headmaster told us that the Polar Star Dormitory had good internet connection, despite the fact that it's in a remote area. As long as we pass the dorm mother's challenge, we'll have room and board."

"I have my ingredients for that test, what about you?" Mayu asked as she found the room.

"I'm just going to wing it with whatever they have in the kitchen," Sōma said with a cheery smile.

Mayu muttered that her twin was way too much like their father.

~}i{~

Tadokoro Megumi was sitting in the corner of the classroom. She was very nervous, knowing that if she got another "E" then she'll get expelled from Totsuki. You see Megumi was in last place with her grades, and another bad grade will end her stay at the school.

'And after the entire village helped to send me here… No, I can't give up! I need to do this for all of them!' Megumi thought to herself as she watched a familiar red head (with his white cane and what looked like a small brown briefcase) enter the room, followed by the brunette.

Megumi looked right at Sōma's eyes as the duo stood next to the teacher's desk. 'He really is blind!' the country girl thought. She remembered that glazed over pupil look from when her grandpa lost vision in his right eye, so she knew that the red head wasn't faking his blindness.

"Beh, I bet he's faking being blind," whispered one of Megumi's classmates.

"Yeah, I mean, come on, blind people can't cook. They can't even see what they're doing," said another.

'No, he really is blind,' Megumi thought as she looked once again at the red head's eyes. The country girl quietly stood up and snuck along the wall to try to get away from all the rudeness and show the blind student that not everyone in the room was an idiot.

"What's that kid thinking coming to Totsuki? Blind people can't cook, he'll probably cut or burn himself if he tries."

"Totally, I mean like, seriously, blind people should only taste food, not, like, cook."

"The food industry doesn't need blind chefs."

"He'll be gone by the end of the day."

SLAM!

That shut everyone up right away.

Chapelle Roland just slammed his attendance sheet onto his desk.

'When did he walk in?!' thought the students.

He glared at the entire class when he said in a harsh tone "If you apprentices have enough time to badmouth a fellow student, then you have enough time to clean this entire kitchen by hand. Which all of you are going to do after class."

Now the class was trembling with fear.

"Tadokoro-san," Chapelle stated when he saw that Megumi was halfway to his desk.

The braided haired girl squeaked. "Y-y-yes!"

"You're going to be working with Yukihira-san," The teacher stated as he looked at his attendance sheet.

"Y-y-yes, sir!" Megumi stuttered out. Sōma smiled, placed the briefcase on the teacher's desk, and held out his hand. "I'm Sōma."

The red head was holding his hand out to the air, ie, no one was in the direction of where his hand was. Mayu moved Sōma's arm in the direction of Megumi. "Oh, you're over there," the red head chuckled out.

The country girl saw that even though he was blind, his eyes seemed to brighten up. She gave a small smile and shook his hand. "I'm Megumi."

~}i{~

Erina took a bite of a dish that her grandfather asked her to try. He said one of the new first years made the dish, telling her that this student had potential to be a diamond chef.

To Erina, the dish tasted like a lively summer festival during a mellow, day at a beautiful sunset. She told her grandfather this.

"Oh, so you like the dish huh," Senzaemon asked with a smile.

"Yes, THIS is a dish worthy of Totsuki and has my highest regards," Erina said before taking another blissful bite.

'I think I'll tell her that Yukihira-kun made this dish in the future,' Senzaemon thought happily. He knew he needed to wait before Erina would realize how special the blind chef was.

~}i{~

Mayu was typing at a laptop as she sat at a desk in the corner in the front of the classroom. Since Sōma had a partner for this class, she didn't need to help him as much so she could work on her own work, but. The brunette glanced up from the screen to see her twin and the country girl place a slag of meat into an oversized pot.

The requirement for this class was to make Boelif Bourguignon or Beef Burgundy. A dish considered to be a staple in French cuisine. The teacher wrote the recipe for the dish on the board, but that was useless to Sōma, so Chapelle told the red head the recipe (as Mayu recorded it). 'He should be fine for this class. Megumi's timid and a bit of a nervous wreck, but she's not going to sabotage Sōma in any way,' Mayu thought as her eyes went back to her laptop.

Megumi watched the pot as earnestly as she could, after all, they had 39 minutes until they had to take the beef out.

"Megumi-chan, we need to get the spices now, you mind helping me with that?" Sōma said as he felt the spice rack to find out where the spices were. He could smell the mellow scent of the spices, but it'll take him too long to find out which spice was which with just smell, especially since all the smells were mixing together. Megumi left the pot to help the redhead, she knew she needed to help him with the labels on the spices.

Two jerks decided to have some fun with the two. The rest of the class saw this but did nothing to stop them.

When Sōma and Megumi got back to their stove, the red head smelt something.

"Megumi-chan, did you spill salt here or add some to the beef?" Sōma asked as he sniffed the air, there was a heavy scent of salt at the table. Megumi quickly noticed that the lid to the pot was slightly off. She paled and yanked the lid off. Now the country girl could smell the heavy salt.

There had to be an entire shaker of salt on their beef!

"Megumi-chan, what's wrong?" Sōma asked in curiosity, but as soon as he heard a couple of people snickering behind him, he realized what happened. 'Rotten Bastards! They dumped salt in our pot!' Sōma thought angrily.

"We have to start over," Megumi said sadly. She looked at the clock and realized that there wasn't enough time to make another one. They were going to get an "E" for sure now.

"Megumi," Sōma said getting the braided girls attention. "I have an idea that'll get us that "A" and teach those rotten pricks a lesson."

Megumi was listening.

~}i{~

About 15 minutes later...

Everyone was just about finishing up. The jerks that dumped the salt in Megumi and Sōma's pot snickered. They couldn't wait until the pair flunked. The jerks just need to do the sauce and they'll be done.

"We'd like to check in, sir!" Sōma said as Megumi placed their dish in front of Chapelle. The red head smiled. "Dig in."

The teacher looked at the dish that looked like it was perfectly made. Chapelle pressed his fork on the meat, and it bounced back immediately. The French Chief was very impressed.

The rest of the students paled. How'd those two simmer the beef in such a short amount time?!

"How did you complete this dish?" Chapelle asked the duo.

Sōma held out a jar (Megumi turned the object so that the teacher could see the label), "Easy. I used honey. I rubbed it on the meat before we cooked it and added it to the seasonings afterward too. Right, honey is rich in proteinase and enzymes that break down proteins." Sōma explained that he experimented with tenderizing meats as a kid and found that honey works the best and it had a longer shelf life.

Chapelle and Megumi took a bite of the dish. The taste from this dish was sooooooo amazing that The Chef That Never Smiles was grinning from ear to ear!

Chapelle put his fork down. "Yukihira, Tadokoro. I will give you an "A". However, *smirk* know that I am MOST disappointed that I do not have the power to give you a higher grade."

Sōma took off his bandanna and said, "Happy to serve!"

The rest of the class couldn't believe what they were seeing and hearing! The blind student got the highest mark possible from the strictest teacher in the school! How was this possible?! Even after he and his teammate were sabotaged?! The jerks who spiked Sōma and Megumi's dish accidentally added too much salt to their sauce (Talk about irony).

"Excuse me, professor," Mayu stated as she walked up to the teacher (after he finished with all the dishes). Chapelle looked at the girl and asked what she needed. Mayu placed her laptop on the professor's desk. "You might want to watch this. I would've vocalized this sooner but I was doing my classwork at the time and I just went over the recording."

Chapelle raised a brow and looked at the computer screen as the brunette pressed a button on the keyboard. What the professor saw caused him to emit a furious aura, the scary part was the fact that he kept a completely straight face.

Megumi was trembling with fear when she saw this as Sōma asked if the a/c died or something (he felt the burning aura from the professor, but since he's blind, he didn't see the aura).

"Tadokoro, Yukihira twins, you may leave the classroom," Chapelle stated in an eerie calm voice, before adding in a rather menacing tone. "The rest of you, STAY."

Megumi was more than happy to comply. Mayu handed Sōma his briefcase. The red head took his collapsible cane out of his blazer pocket and pressed a button to straighten it back into a cane. The three left the room, leaving Chapelle to thoroughly scold/punish the rest of the class.

~}i{~

As the three walked down the hallway, Megumi couldn't help but remember how Sōma was when he and she fixed their dish. Megumi recalled Sōma cutting and mixing the ingredients with such fluid movements. The way he cooks... it would be hard to believe that he was actually blind. Okay, he had to taste the food more often, but still...

"S-Sōma-kun," the country girl finally managed to vocalize.

"Yes, Tadokoro-chan?" Sōma asked as he stopped walking. Mayu stopped a few paces ahead of him. Megumi nervously asked how he learned to cook blind and quickly added that she was asking out of curiosity, not rudeness.

"I learned how to cook just like everyone else," Sōma said calmly, which in turn caused Megumi to stop.

Mayu then added. "Nii-san..."

The red head told his twin that it was alright and added with a smile "After I lost my sight, I just changed a few things to what I learned to cope. It's not that big a deal, okay, so maybe I need someone to help with the plates a bit, but it's just fine. I don't have to worry about how the food looks so I can completely focus on the taste and texture of the food."

Megumi was completely moved. 'If he can overcome his blindness, then... Maybe... I can overcome my nervousness,' the braided girl thought with a smile.

Mayu quietly interrupted by saying "Ano…not to ruin the moment, but do you know where the Polar Star Dormitory is? We've asked nearly all of the staff here, but they don't seem to know where it is."

"Oh, I live at Polar Star, I can take you there," Megumi said almost happily, she thought it would be nice to have these two in the Polar Star Dormitory. The Yukihira twins thanked the country girl.

~}i{~

About 30 minutes later... Erina and Hisako walked down the hallway towards the Nakiri mansion for a well deserved night's sleep. The two passed Chapelle's classroom. They stopped after a couple of passes before taking a few steps backward to make sure they weren't seeing things. Yup, they were NOT seeing things.

All of Chapelle's students were cleaning the entire classroom, WITH TINY TOOTHBRUSHES.

'What the heck?' Erina and Hisako thought after blinking a couple of times.

"Oh, Nakiri, Arato, what bring the two of you here?" Chapelle asked when he saw the two.

"Oh, we were just passing by when we..." Hisako said turning her head towards the other students.

The professor noticed this and said. "They're being punished for sabotaging a team."

"All of them?" Erina asked in confusion. Usually, only the student who did the sabotaging gets punished.

"One team of students did sabotage another team, but (now talking loud enough for all of the students to hear) seeing that the rest of the class saw but didn't say or do anything to stop it, EVERYONE is being punished for the sabotage. I want it to sink in with you students that what was done was NOT acceptable. I shall alert the other staff about this and one more act like that will earn you an expulsion."

The class gulped and started scrubbing harder with the toothbrushes.

Both Erina and Hisako weren't sure what to say, so they decided to just leave and head on to the mansion.

~}i{~

Daimido Fumio took another bite of the Mack-burger that Sōma made for his entry challenge. The dorm mother had to admit this was an amazing dish, even if it was made from scraps left over in the kitchen. Fumio smiled and thought, 'Both were able to make amazing dishes. That Yukihira boy's got quite the creative mind, and that Yukihira girl's got a nice cooking attitude even if she's not a student. Both will do great here.' The dorm mother pulled a folded paper out of her pocket, opened it, and read the content again.

"Daimido Fumio,

I am sending you this letter to give you a heads up on a special needs student that wishes to take up residency in your dormitory. His name is Yukihira Sōma and he is completely blind, so if he passes your test, I would advise you to make some small adjustments to the dorm so he can get around easier, especially in the kitchen. You know, mark the cupboards so he knows what's in them. The main thing I want you to do is to simply treat him like you would any other student.

He's a real diamond in the rough.

Best regards, Nakiri Senzaemon"

Fumio smiled and thought. 'He certainly is a diamond in the rough.' She'll call someone tomorrow to make the adjustments to the dorm so the Yukihira boy would get around easier.

~}i{~

After a nice, relaxing bath for the Yukihira twins, Mayu took Sōma to his new room, room 303 (Mayu's in room 304, right next door). The blind student quickly felt around the room to learn the locations of the door, window, desk, nightstand, and bed. It was a simple dorm room, which was good enough to Sōma for now. The white cane tapped the side of the bed, the red head felt the soft blanket of the bed with his free hand, sat on the bed, leaned his cane against the nightstand (after feeling around for it), and finally laid on his new bed.

It was quiet, really quiet.

This was the first time Sōma's ever lived away from home. It felt weird to him, but he'll adapt, just like he did when he lost his sight.

Sōma heard a KLUNK sound from above his bed, and then he heard a voice say "Evening, transfer student! C'mon. We're having a-"

Sōma quickly grabbed his cane and jabbed whoever was in the ceiling.

~}i{~ Chapter 2; End ~}i{~

Gale-Dragon: Sorry for cutting out the scene with the Dorm challenge, but you readers will find out why in the future. Also, let me know how I'm doing :-).


	3. 3: Initiation Party

Gale-Dragon: Chapter 3 is up.

~}i{~

Shokugeki no Sōma: Nashi Saito de Chīfu. Chapter 3: Initiation Party.

~}i{~

"Talking"

'Thinking'

(Author Making a Comment)

~}i{~

In room 205 (Marui Zenji's room)...

Yuki was really scolding Isshiki about crawling through the ceiling and scaring the other residents half way out of their wit in the middle of the night, especially the new blind resident. The second year student was covered in welts, those welts were the same width as Sōma's cane.

Yup, Sōma literally beat Isshiki-senpai with his cane, after the upperclassman fell out of the ceiling and landed on the bed. It wasn't until Megumi and Mayu rushed into the room to find out what all the noise was. When they saw what was happening, Megumi told the red head that the person was another resident of the dorm, that was when Sōma stopped hitting Isshiki with his cane.

After Yuki finished scolding the second year high school student, Sōma apologized for beating up the upperclassman. "No, no, it was my fault. I wasn't aware that you were blind, so I guess I scared you," Isshiki stated with a smile, he looked really weird with the welts running down his face.

"Maybe now you'll stop crawling through the ceiling," Shun mumbled.

Mayu couldn't help but think that the senpai was a little strange, especially since he crawls through the ceilings to greet new residents.

Isshiki took Sōma's hand, shaking it, and said "As you heard, I'm Isshiki, a second-year student. Just call me Isshiki-senpai. Everyone else is a first-year, like you." As everyone smiled, the upperclassman said: "Welcome to the Polaris Dorm, Yukihira Sōma, and Yukihira Mayumi."

Both of the twins smiled at that.

~}i{~

Sakaki Ryoko poured a drink for Sōma while Mayu noticed that the label on the glass bottle was handwritten and the contents were somewhat cloudy. "Ano... Ryoko-chan... What exactly is that stuff?" the brunette twin asked the long haired girl with a mixture of worry, suspicion, and curiosity.

With a smile, Ryoko said as she handed Sōma his 3/4 full cup "It's just juice made from rice, honest."

"Wait! Is this bootleg!?" Mayu asked with a rather shocked look on her face as Ryoko handed her a glass of the drink and repeated with a smile "It's just rice juice."

Sōma sniffed the drink, thought 'Aren't there any rules against making this stuff on campus?' and took a tiny sip. Yup, it was sake.

~}i{~

Shun brought out what he smoked earlier today as Isshiki-senpai helped the others bring in more food for the group to eat. Shun brought out out some smoked cheese and three different kinds of jerky.

Sōma took a bite of the jerky. "Mmm! This smoky, salty flavor is perfect!" the blind student said as he took another bite of the jerky.

Mayu took a bite of one of the slices of the smoked cheese. "Wow! This is amazing! I've never had smoked cheese before, well... Smoked cheese that wasn't burnt or melted at least," Mayu said with a smile as she took another bite. Shun blushed a bit and thanked the two. Sōma asked if he could try the smoked cheese. Shun handed a slice of the cheese to the blind red head.

Isshiki came into the room with a plate of food and was wearing a bear printed apron... Just an apron.

This caused Mayu to turn red and squeaked.

"What's wrong Mayu?" Sōma asked his twin sister in confusion. He knew that his sister didn't scare easily, so it made him wonder what was startling her.

Shaking, Mayu stuttered out "I-I-Isshi, Isshiki-sen-senpai's o-o-only w-w-wearing an-an apron!"

"So," Sōma said with a raised brow, nothing unusual about that.

"Just an apron! Nothing else!" Mayu said covering her eyes so she didn't see the upperclassman's bare rear.

Sōma's blind eyes widened when he asked "Just an apron? Nothing underneath?"

Yuki laughed and said "Just his apron and his birthday suit." Sōma was completely silent.

Was there no sense of decency here?

~}i{~

After about 30 minutes of eating (or spitting out some of Sōma's failed dishes in some cases) and partying, everyone but Sōma and Isshiki-senpai was fast asleep. The red head covered his sleeping twin with a blanket, the apron wearing student noticed that Mayu had an old cut on her right hand, on the skin in between her index and thumb. The second year student figured it was from a kitchen mishap.

"Again, Sōma, welcome to Polaris. We're glad to have you and your sister," Isshiki said with a smile. Sōma smiled and said "Thanks. It's good to be here."

Isshiki noticed that they were out of food, said he'd get some more and added "I think I had some seer fish steak here somewhere. Let me whip something up." With a sweatdrop and a raised brow, Sōma asked: "Are you planning on cooking without any clothing on?"

Okay, even though the red head was blind, whether someone was cooking in the buff or not really shouldn't matter to him. But... There were other students (and a dorm mother) in the building, people who could see. Soooooo...

Isshiki told Sōma not to worry about it and added: "Besides, I am wearing an apron~." A bigger sweatdrop appeared on the blind student's head.

~}i{~

Meanwhile... Elsewhere on the Totsuki campus, more specifically, inside the Nakiri Manor...

On a beautifully decorated wall, ten hooks sat under the words Totsuki Saryo Council of Ten Master Seat Ranks. Each hook hung under a number, 1 through 10 in order. Each hook had a wooden block hanging on it and each of the blocks had a name written on them.

Under the hook marked with the #10 hung the wooden block that read Nakiri Erina.

~}i{~

"There, done. Enjoy!" Ishiki said happily as he handed a plate of cooked seer fish steak a pair of chopsticks to Sōma.

The red head tapped the tips of the chopsticks on the plate, feeling around for the food, and said with a smile "Don't mind if I do."

Sōma took a bit of the dish. It tasted like a lovely Spring day in an area full of flowers. The blind red head couldn't help but think 'This is Amazing! The other's cooking isn't even in the same league! Is this dish better because he's a second year or is it amazing because of something else?!'

"By the way, Sōma..." Isshiki said getting the blind red head's attention. With a smirk, the upperclassman said: "I hear you said some 'Interesting' things at the Entrance Ceremony." Isshiki took off the bandana he was wearing on his head as he continued "So you're aiming to take the top spot, eh? Well, y'know, that might not be as easy as you think."

On the wooden block under the #7 was the name Isshiki Satoshi.

With a wide smirk on his face, Isshiki said: "Allow me to properly introduce myself, Isshiki Satoshi the Seventh Seat of the Totsuki Council of Ten!"

"Nani?! You're on the Council?!" Sōma exclaimed.

With a somewhat evil glint in his eyes, the naked upperclassman stated "Your turn! I'd love to taste some of your cooking, Sōma. So what kind of dish will you make for me?"

Sōma's blind eyes narrowed and a smirk appeared on his face as he said "I never thought I'd be going up against one of the Elite Ten this quickly, but alright! I'll make ya something!" Isshiki couldn't help but grin a mischievous smile.

~}i{~

Yuki awoke to the smell of fish filling up the room. Ryoko opened her tired eyes a few seconds later.

"What's Yukihira-kun doing?" Yuki asked the long haired girl, who replied "He's cooking. Maybe he still hungry."

Shun, who was already awake, stated: "It's a cook-off."

"A Cook-Off?! Why and With Who?!" Yuki nearly shouted.

"I don't know why, but I can tell you... Isshiki-senpai started it," Shun stated calmly.

The three watched as Sōma cooked his dish and ignored Isshiki's state of dress, or undress in this case.

'The way he cooks... If you didn't already know he was blind, then you'd think he was just a regular chef,' Yuki, Ryoko, and Shun thought at the same time.

~}i{~

Nakiri Senzaemon was sitting at his desk, looking over some official papers. One was a result document of a recent Shokugeki, but the Headmaster didn't really care about that right now.

The Headmaster was looking over the document in his hand with a smile.

Senzaemon knew that Yukihira Mayumi was a student of another school, and knew she would have to leave the Totsuki campus on occasion to do some on site classes, so she wouldn't be able to help her twin all the time. This is where this document comes into play.

The Headmaster couldn't help but chuckle at that. There was no way in the depths of hell is he letting Yukihira Sōma, this beautiful diamond in the rough, slip away from Totsuki on a stupidly minor technically.

~}i{~

Sōma served up four bowls of his dish.

"Yukihira's Secret Menu Item #20 (Revised), Seer Fish Rice Ball Chazuke!" Sōma said happily before adding with a smile "It's usually made with salmon, but today I'm trying seer fish instead. Dig in, everyone!"

Isshiki, Shun, Ryoko, and Yuki looked at the bowls of rice balls with seer fish and some kind of tea. It looked pretty rough, it looked and smelt delicious and everything was cooked right, but it looked rough. This pretty much proved that Sōma really was blind.

"Ano, what did you pour over this dish?" Ryoko asked the other red head as she tucked some of her hair behind her ear.

Sōma happily answered "Seaweed Tea. The soft saltiness and rich flavor are perfect for rounding out a meal." Yuki rubbed her stomach and said "Gawd! It smells soo good, you can't help but get hungry!"

"Everything looks like it's been cooked properly..." Shun muttered.

Isshiki looked at the dish and thought 'This looks like nothing more than plain old chazuke. This is a dish that you can find in a common eatery... Due to Sōma's blindness, this dish doesn't look all that appealing, but then again, food is meant to be eaten so it's all about the taste and texture.'

All four Polaris students took a bit of the dish.

Holy Hell! This dish was more than Delicious!

"Wow! The seer fish is really juicy! But even better, the skin is crispy! It's like every bite is overflowing with savory flavor!" Yuki stated in surprise.

With a flushed face, Ryoko said "Simply grilling it would never give the skin this crispiness. How'd you do it Sōma?"

"Poêlé. You cooked this fish using the Poêlé technique!" Isshiki stated.

Sōma smirked, winked, and said "Yup! Learnt it from my dad. He said it's the best way to cook up a fish with a nice, crispy skin." Isshiki asked if the blind teen's dad trained in French cooking. "Not really. Pops cooked in in a lot of different countries before opening the diner," Sōma said happily.

Isshiki stirred the rice in the seaweed tea and thought 'Interesting combination, one that no one has ever thought of! The pure white rice... Almost looks like little gleaming flakes of snows... The dark seer fish pushes its way up proudly through all that white... Like the vitality of Spring itself! With this one simple dish... He has portrayed the moment of Spring's beginning!'

All four practically wolfed down the bowl.

Sōma took off his bandanna and said: "Happy to serve!"

With tears of happiness in his eyes, Isshiki said: "What an exquisitely beautiful snowmelt, Sōma."

The blind red head scratched his cheek and said "Your Spring breeze wasn't bad either senpai. It was so fresh, I could feel it."

Isshiki took Sōma's hand, shook it, and said "Thanks for the great match."

"Yar welcome," the blind teen said with a smile.

Mayu groggily woke up to her twin shaking hands with the upperclassman that had his apron, the only thing he was wearing, sliding off his body. The short haired brunette turned red and shouted: "GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY BROTHER YOU NAKED PERVERT!"

Everyone in the dorm woke up to that.

~}i{~

As the group left the room to head back to their respective rooms, they wondered why Isshiki-senpai started the cook-off.

~}i{~

The blind red head was cleaning off his kitchen knife when Isshiki said happily "Sōma, with this welcome party, you and your sister are now official members of Polaris. So if either of you have any questions, feel free to ask anyone here."

"Okay then," Sōma said before asking "Who's the current First Seat?"

That took Isshiki by surprise. The near naked upperclassman smiled and said "Right, you're going to "Take the Top Spot" here, aren't you."

"Yup, I'm planning on showing the entire world that it doesn't matter if you have a disability or not, anything is possible when you set your mind on something and ignore all of the so called "limitations" people throw at you in life," Sōma said with a serious look on his face then added with a smirk "Our match ended in a tie, but... If I beat you in a Shokugeki, does that make me the Seventh Seat?"

Isshiki smirked and jumped up and said cheerfully "Amazing! What awesome ambition, Sōma! I'm moved! So totally moved! I tell you! All Polaris residents should have that kind of drive!" Sōma was a bit taken back by the upperclassman's sudden cheeriness.

"But I think I'll pass on the rematch, it's late. We should both get some sleep," Isshiki said with that smile still on his face. Sōma yawned. Yeah, it was a bit late and they needed their sleep for classes that start in a few hours.

"Well, then, night senpai," the blind student said as he took his cane and headed out of the room.

Isshiki kept that smile on his face when Sōma left the room and thought 'With that cooking of yours... you really will change the world of cooking; however, *now Isshiki had a serious look on his face* you still have a lot of challenges ahead of you, most are people who lack the understanding of your goals.' The upperclassman couldn't help but think that those individuals are the ones who are actually blind.

~}i{~

The next morning...

Erina won her Shokugeki with the captain of the Chankonabe Society, easily.

The heiress felt that that club was not necessary for "Her" Totsuki, so she did away with it.

Her servants were congratulating/complimenting her on another perfect Shokugeki. All was perfect in Erina's life when Hisako ran up to her telling her that Yukihira Sōma got the highest possible marks in Chapelle-sensei's class.

"NANI!? Are you sure!?" the honey blond shouted.

The pinkette nodded frantically and said, "Unfortunately, I'm completely sure..." Erina scowled and stated "It had to be out of pity, it just had to. There's no way a second-rate cook, and a blind one at that, could get nothing more than an "E" in Chapelle-sensei's class."

"I'm quite dissipated in you right now, Nariki-san."

Erina and Hisako turned to see Chapelle Roland, the Chef that Never Smiles, standing a couple of paces away from the two.

"Chapelle-sensei!" the two girls gasped out. It was weird seeing him outside the classroom.

With a stern look on his face, Chapelle stated "Judging a person's potential by one's background and disability. Tisk, tisk. I believe YOU were the one who passed him during the Transfer Exams?"

Erina quickly stated with a pout "He simply made a lucky dish, that's all, nothing more."

Chapelle raised a brow and said "Was it really? I highly doubt that. When I tasted the Boelif Bourguignon he made with Tadokoro-san, I couldn't help but smile." The strict teacher cracked a grin at that last sentence. The strictest teacher was smiling just from the memory of the dish!

Chapelle started walking away from the two girls and said "The Headmaster was right about that boy. He's a diamond, just like you Nakiri-san."

Hisako and Erina blinked in confusion.

No one was more of a diamond then Nakiri Erina.

Right?

~}i{~ Chapter 3: End. ~}i{~

Gale-Dragon: I hope everyone's enjoying this story so far.


	4. 4: The Meat Master

Gale-Dragon: Well, Here's the next chapter.

~}i{~

Shokugeki no Sōma: Nashi Saito de Chīfu. Chapter 4: The Meat Master and the First Official Shikugeki.

~}i{~

"Talking"

'Thinking'

(Author making comment)

~}i{~

Everyone in the Polaris Dorm was waking up and doing their morning routine.

While Sōma was brushing his teeth, he couldn't help but think that Isshiki-senpai was going easy on him, or didn't use his specialty. Either or, the red head wasn't sure which.

~}i{~

Sōma, Megumi, and Mayu walked out of the Polaris Dorm. All three of them had a free day, so they decided to explore Totsuki grounds a bit.

Isshiki watched the three left from the entrance facing balcony.

"Isshiki-senpai, why'd you challenge him to a match? If you could call it that a match," Shun walked onto the same balcony as the Seventh Seat.

Isshiki smiled and said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Shun frowned and said "Oh please, you didn't take it seriously. You didn't even use your "Specialty"! That dish you made, was something you could make in your sleep."

Isshiki just smiled.

~}i{~

"Research Societies?" Mayu asked looking at a billboard that was covered with fliers.

Megumi smiled and said "Yeah, there are lots and lots if societies at Totsuki that research different kinds of foods and dishes. They get together after class and work on new dishes, practice techniques, and even participate in cooking contests outside the Institute."

"So they're like normal after school clubs, huh," Sōma said tapping his cane on the ground a bit, then asked, "Do these research societies also participate in Shokugeki as well?"

Megumi nodded and said "Yeah, they do. Usually with each other and usually for more turf, a bigger budget, memberships, or sometimes combining societies."

"Wow, when pops said that Shokugeki are everything here, he was right," Mayu said in a rather impressed tone. She and Sōma have heard stories about Shokugekis from their father, all were amazing; although, some of those stories were rather out there, making the twins wonder if those were fabricated.

"Not all of the research societies actually participates in Shokugeki. The Home Cooking Research Society, the one I'ma part of, isn't all that interested in expanding. Well, not right now at least," Megumi said with a small smile. The Yukihira twins were rather impressed.

Mayu spotted a flier for Donburi Research Society. "Wow, this place even has a Don Society," the brunette stated as she read the flier. This got Sōma's attention.

'I've been wanting to make a new Don recipe. This place I gotta check out,' Sōma thought with a small smile. "Mayu, Tadokoro-chan, let's check out the Don RS," the blind red head said happily.

"Wha! Why do I have to go with you?" Megumi asked in a bit of a panic.

"Well, you've been on the campus longer then us, so you would know where everything is," Mayu said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Well... That WAS true.

~}i{~

Nakiri Senzaemon was extremely, positively, absolutely disappointed in his granddaughter AND the eight of the nine other Seats of the Elite Ten (Isshiki was not among the group, he was currently working on his garden on the Polaris Dorm's grounds. Plus the Headmaster didn't call him), whom he is currently scolding right now in his closed office.

This kind of thing is something that the Headmaster was NOT okay with, especially since it goes against what is Totsuki stands for, not to mention that it also brakes a couple of rules.

"But Grandfather, every single one of those Shokugeki were all in proper order," Erina said, trying to surpass a whine.

Senzaemon frowned at his granddaughter, and the other Elite Seats, when he said in a serious tone "Are you 100% sure about that? Because that's not what I'm hearing from other students and staff members."

The nine of the ten Elite looked at one another. They were sure the Shokugekis were all according to the rules. Right?

"I'm starting to think that you should schedule a mandatory seminar on Shokugeki, to "Reaffirm" all of the Shokugeki rules, Headmaster," said a new voice, whom just walked into the office. The voice belonged to a tall, young man, who looked like he just graduated from collage, with perfectly groomed short black hair, dark eyes, small nose, thin lips, wore a perfectly iorned office suit, and polished black shoes. This young man had a neat stack of papers in his hand.

The students watched the young man as he walked to the Headmaster's desk.

Nakiri Senzaemon cleared his throat and said "Allow me to introduce Yamano Shin (1). He is one of the main officials for the Shokugeki Administration Department. One of his main jobs is reviewing past Shokugeki. He is also the one to find some of the "Improper" methods for a lot of your Shokugeki." The Headmaster was putting stress on the word Improper.

Yamato Shin nodded at the students before reading what was on the papers, outloud.

~}i{~

"Yukihira-kun, why'd you step up for us like that?" Kanichi Konishi, a second year high school student and the Don of the Donburi Research Society, asked the blind first year. He just couldn't believe that the first year student would get involved with this horrible plight, especially since it wasn't any of his business.

Sōma said "Our family runs a cheap, little family restaurant. So, we just can't just sit back and listen to him say that pricey meat is the best just because it's pricey."

Mayu tapped the Don recipe booklet and said "Besides, this place is too cool to be shut down. I mean, according to all of these recipes *opens the booklet* this RS has way too much to offer this school. That snotty little princess obviously doesn't care about that or she really can't see past her nose. Also Nii-san, Mito Ikumi is a she, not a he."

"Really? You sure?" Sōma asked with a raised brow. The red head could've sworn that the Meat Master sounded like a guy, or maybe he didn't clean his ears out completely this morning.

"With that giant bust, she's defiantly a she," Mayu stated, remembering Mito's oversized bust juggling up and down with each step she made.

Sōma then said, rubbing the back of his head, "Guess it's a good thing I didn't call her a he when she was here then."

"Ano... Do either of you have a plan on how to beat her?" Megumi asked the twins in a nervous tone. Could Sōma really have a plan to beat the Meat Master of Totsuki?

"Not really. But don't worry I'll come up with something," Sōma said in a cheerful tone.

Megumi somehow knew he was going to say something like that.

Mayu pinched the brim of her nose and mumbled: "You're too much like Pops Nii-san."

"We have three days until the Shokugeki. So let's prepare for battle!" Sōma said in a tone that was a mixture excitement and joy.

~}i{~

Now Nakiri Senzaemon was furious.

"THIS sort of behavior is NOT acceptable in Totsuki! Especially NOT by ANY member of the Elite Ten!" the Headmaster shouted at the nine Elite in his office. All of whom flinched.

"Ano, but Headmaster..." the current First Seat, Tsukasa Eishi, stuttered out.

"No buts!" Senzaemon snapped, causing the white haired teen to coward in fear. The Headmaster then stated sternly "With this kind of behavior, I am starting to think I should use one of my Nulls (2) to remove ALL of you from the Elite Ten!" The nine of the seated Elite Ten were utterly shocked.

Yup the Headmaster was completely PISSED.

"Nya~ what about Issiki~?" Kobayashi Rindou sweetly asked the enraged headmaster.

Senzaemon folded his arms and stated "Unlike the nine of you, Isshiki-kun hasn't participated in a Shokugeki for quite a while; therefore, he is excused from this conversation and potential punishment. And before you ask Kobayashi, I called you nine here to tell ALL of you that you're on VERY thin ice, even the ones here who have yet to do anything against the rules."

Megishima Tōsuke and Kuga Terunori, who were both sitting at the farthest right, glared harshly at the rest of the present Elite Ten. They had to be the only two here who didn't break any Shokugeki rules.

A staff member walked into the office and handed Shin a pile of papers. The Shokugeki official looked over the papers and said "Alright, all of the Shokugeki of the Elite Ten has been completely reviewed. Megishima-kun, Kuga-kun, you two are excused from this meeting and are officially free from any wrong-doing."

With that, the two members of the Elite Ten left the office. Kuga slammed the door shut, causing the entire room to shake.

"His anger is understandable," Senzaemon stated, glaring at the remaining Elite Ten. It was obvious what he was implying.

"Looks like there has been a change to the upcoming Shokugeki with the Donburi Research Society," Shin told the Headmaster, looking over the rest of the paperwork.

"The one the 10th Seat instigated," Senzaemon said firmly, eyeing his granddaughter. Erina gulped.

(Wow, he MUST be more than pissed if he's not mentioning his granddaughter by name).

Shin nodded and said, "The Don RS has chosen to switch out their champion for the Shokugeki."

"Oh? Who's this new opponent?" Senzaemon asked the Shokugeki official.

~}i{~

Konishi just finished explaining to the Yukihira Twins and Megumi what the Rating Scale for Beef. He also explained that Mito was going to use the best-ranked beef, an A5. That rank was soooooo tender you could drink it. Now Konishi was bringing himself down with his own words.

"We agreed to use a Beef Don challenge, so we're going to use beef," Sōma stated in a deadpan tone before adding with vigor "Besides, you said it yourself senpai, a Don is the epitome of "Fast, Cheap, and Good". That's exactly what Nikumi was insulting! If we want anyone to respect Dons, we have to it with an inexpensive Beef Don or it's meaningless!"

Konishi stated that Sōma was right. The Don RS needed to beat Erina and her henchmen with cheap meat in order to prove them wrong. "But... With the money have from the new budget... I don't think we have enough to even buy practice ingredients let alone the ingredients for the Shokugeki," the Don captain stated, depressing himself.

One of the main parts of a Shokugeki was that the students involved have to bring their own ingredients to use. The ability to procure what is needed is an important skill for a chef.

"How much are we talking about?" Mayu asked with a raised brow. She wasn't sure if Konishi was exaggerating because of his personality or if he was actually telling the truth.

Konishi mumbled out the number.

"Could you repeat that a little louder? I don't think anyone heard you," Sōma asked.

Konishi motioned the three to move closer. Mayu tugged on Sōma's arm, telling him to come towards the Don captain.

"!"

Mayu was completely shocked when she practically shouted "That's the budget for the entire Don RS! There's no way you can buy any ingredients with THAT! It's not even enough to buy a Kid's Meal at a fast food joint! How the hell was THAT approved as a budget!?"

Konishi twiddled his thumbs and stated "Well, you see... Nakiri makes "budget proposals" to the Research Societies Comity to slash the budgets of the RSs she doesn't like and see the proposals through. Well, it's more along the lines of her hounding the Comity members until they give in and agree to her proposal."

Sōma was quiet for a second or so before saying "Pops told us what the rules of this school are, and I'm pretty sure that she needs a _real _ good _valid_ reason for slashing a RS budget like that. Slashing a budget like that on a RS just because you don't like isn't a valid reason. I'm pretty sure that stuck-up princess is "Suppose" to know this particular fact, especially since she's the Headmaster's granddaughter and a member of the Elite Ten."

Mayu sighed and stated "I'm sure she knows but chooses to ignore it. I'm also sure that the Headmaster isn't going to be happy about it when he finds out."

"Also true," Sōma said with a sigh as he thought 'This is one reason why pops decided to raise us in a modest setting.' "I guess we can use some of the money from the allowance Ojisan (3) set up for us. I mean there is technically no rules against students using their allowance for the Research Societies," Sōma stated after a minute or so.

Mayu nodded.

Megumi was rather surprised that the Yukihira Twins would use their own allowance to help the RS. 'Sōma-kun and Mayu-chan are good people,' Megumi couldn't help but think.

An official for the overseeing of Shokugeki walked into the RS. He needed official conformation that Sōma was going to participate in the upcoming Shokugeki. Sōma smirked, he decided to let Erina know how exactly how he felt about her "Methods".

~}i{~

"The transfer student..." Eizan Etsuya stated adjusting his glasses with a sigh.

This change gave the seven Elite Ten in the office a very odd mixture of expected and unexpected. 'What is with that guy?' Thought six of the seven Elite. Erina was pretty peeved by that "annoying" red head, ruining her plans to create a "Perfect" Totsuki.

"Oh? He left a message for the Tenth Seat," Shin stated looking at a note attached to the document. He read the note. "He's certainly... An honest person," the Shokugeki official stated as he handed the note to the Headmaster.

Senzaemon read the note, he couldn't help but chuckle. "My, my, he certainly speaks his mind," the Headmaster said with a smile, then he said with a serious look on his face "But he is speaking the truth. You seven are going to have to be punished for your behaviors."

The seven Elite Ten members gulped.

~}i{~

Konishi and Megumi were utterly shocked.

How on earth could the red head say such a thing to a Nakiri?!

Mayu wasn't all that surprised at all. She knew her brother too well.

~}i{~

The next day...

Erina was sitting at her desk, thinking over what her grandfather told her and the six other Elite Tens, who were also in trouble.

He wasn't going to have them removed from the Elite Ten, for now at least, but he DID want them to undo what they did. Meaning that Erina had to restore all of the Research Societies she destroyed, with HER OWN MONEY and had to PERSONALLY apologize and re-recreate all of the members from each RS back into their respective RS. Senzaemon was very specific on those tasks for those seven of the Elite Ten.

Erina couldn't understand why her grandfather was against her plans to create a Perfect Totsuki.

}{ Flashback }{

*What Senzaemon told Erina during the start of the year when she told him about her plans*

"That is not "Perfecting" Totsuki, it will be DESTROYING it!"

}{ End Flashback}{

The honey blond couldn't help but wonder what her grandfather meant by that.

There was a knock on the door on Erina's office. She told the person to enter.

Mito Ikumi entered the room with a proud smile. Erina was interested in what the Meat Master was smiling about.

With that smile still on her face, Ikumi esplained her preperation for the Shokugeki and added "I'll use a Japanese Back Wagyu fillet. It will, of course, be A5 Grade. Not only that, it's been aged for over a month. Two days from now, it'll hit its peak flavor. In other words, that fillet will be... An A5 to surpass all A5s." The Meat Master ran her thumb across her neck and added "I'll use techniques designed to bring out every drop of that flavor and crush that Don RS like a bug."

Erina rested her chin on her intertwined fingers and said "Excellent. We shall rid ourselves of that worthless RS and get rid of that "Annoyance" all in one blow."

"It'll be easy," Mito stated before asking Erina "But, is he really blind? He seemed to know where I was standing, he was even staring at me, pulse he knew I specialized in meat particularly beef." The Meat Master found it hard to believe that a blind kid could even get into Totsuki.

Erina raised a brow.

~}i{~

"Oi Sōma-kun," Konishi said getting the red head's attention. That was when he asked, "You're blind, right?"

Sōma nodded.

"So, how'd you know where Nikumi was standing?" Konishi finally asked.

Sōma smiled and said with a snicker "It wasn't hard to find out where she was since she was yapping up a storm about expensive meats. Plus, she reeks of beef, so that's how I knew she liked beef more than the other meats."

Megumi thought 'Right, his other senses should be stronger in order to compensate for his lack of sight,' when she heard this.

~}i{~ The Day of the Shokugeki ~}i{~

Fellow student and Shokugeki MC, Kawashima Urara, appeared on stage and announced through her mic "Sorry to have kept you waiting, everyone! We have received word from the Shokugeki Administration Department, they have validated this Shokugeki as official! In a few moments, the battle will begin! *Winks cutely*"

99% of the guys in the audience cheered for Urara, most shouted that she was soooo cute. And that caused the gals to become annoyed.

Urara then announced "Three judges have been appointed. Today's theme will be Donburi and the main ingredient will be meat! Now, from the East and West corners... Contestants, take your places!"

The crowd cheered.

Waving her left hand to the east, Urara announced "The first out is the Meat Master herself... Mito Ikumi!" The tanned student threw off her cloak, relieving that she was wearing a flamed printed bikini top and blue very short shorts.

The same 99% of the guys in the audience cheered as Ikumi walked onto the stage, her breast jiggling with each step she took. Urara was annoyed with this.

"And now for the other contestant, Yukihira Sōma!" Urara announced trying to get the attention back onto her.

The reaction for the blind student as he walked in with his twin sister, Megumi and Konishi wasn't well received, to put it simply.

"Annoying bigots," Mayu stated sourly.

Sōma chuckled and told his twin "Watch the language Imōto (4), I don't want to tell Pops about it."

"Sorry Ani (5)" Mayu giggled before saying seriously "I forget that they're not worth the time." Sōma smiled as the brunette helped him up the stairs to the stage.

Once Sōma was standing in front of Ikumi, someone in the crowd saw that Nikiri Erina, Eizan Etsuya, Kinokuni Nene, Saitou Somei, Akanegakubo Momo, Kobayashi Rindou, and Tsukasa Eishi walked into one of the VIP lounges of the auditorium.

"LOOK IT'S SEVEN OF THE ELITE TEN!" "What are they doing here?" "Mito's part of Erina's faction, right?" "Yeah, that's why she's here but what about the others?"

That was when Urara announced "Attention, please! I'm sure you all are wondering why seven of the Elite Ten are here. I'll explain why!" Getting the attention back on her. "So let's review the conditions of the Shokugeki! In the event Mito wins, the Donburi RS will be disbanded and Yukihira Sōma will be expelled! In the event Yukihira wins, the Donburi RS will receive increased funds, larger facilities, and better equipment, not only that, but Mito Ikumi will become an official member of that RS! Also, the present members of the Elite Ten have made a bet with the Headmaster!"

A surge of murmurs echoed though the arena. The Yukihira twins smirked.

"Here's how the bet stands, the present Seven of the Elite Ten have placed their bets on Mito while the Headmaster has placed his bets on Yukihira!" Urara announced, causing the audience to mutter in confusion. Urara continued "If Mito wins, the Headmaster will expunge any wrongdoing from the present members of the Elite's record, but it Yukihira wins then the present Elite must, ano, *reads a note in her hand*. Wait! Is this right?" The MC asked a nearby official, who nodded.

"Really?" Urara asked before finally announcing "If Yukihira wins, then the present Elite Ten members must... Work at the Yukihira's family diner for as long as Yukihira is attending Totsuki!"

The crowd erupted in rage.

"You got a lotta guts to pull that one, blind boy," Mito stated with a sneer.

"Actually, it was all the Headmaster's idea. He said something along the lines of them losing touch with what Totsuki stands for or something like that," Sōma stated pretty nonchalantly.

Mayu then added cheerfully "So he figured our nice family diner would both punish them and open their eyes at the same time. Besides, the Headmaster already asked our father about it and he gave him the okay."

Mito shook her head and stated with a smirk "Well, it was a waste of effort, you're leaving Totsuki today."

Sōma unwrapped his white bandana from his wrist and said casually "I wouldn't be so sure about that." The blind red head wrapped his bandanna around his forehead as Megumi and Konishi sat in some folding chairs next to the stage.

"Let the Shokugeki BEGIN!"

The two chefs walked to their cooking stations.

"The layout it the same as the classrooms," Mayu stated looking at the counters of Sōma's station.

"Just like the Headmaster said," Sōma stated as he took a couple of onions.

"Mayu~chan, how are you going to be able to follow your brother's instructions for this Shokueki~?" Urara asked through the mic in a cutesy tone, but she was thinking that only she should be the only girl on the stage who should get all of the guy's attention.

"Excuse me?" Mayu stated in an insulted tone.

"Will you be able to cook an amazing dish as your brother instructs you?" Urara asked in that same cutesy tone.

"Sōma is the one cooking," Mayu said sourly before adding "The only thing I "Will" be helping him with is dressing the plates, that's all." The brunette was really losing her patents with all of these ignorant students at this school.

Urara blinked and said "But, he's blind. Aren't you worried he's going to hurt himself while he cooks?"

"My chances of an injury in the kitchen is no greater than Nikumi's chances of getting injured," Sōma stated flatly as he pleaded some of the onions, his back to the two girls.

"Nii-san has lived in the kitchen since he was three, he knows what he's doing, so he's perfectly capable of cooking by himself," Mayu stated as she shooed Urara away from her twin. The female Yukihira didn't want the annoying MC to distract her brother.

Ikumi stated, rather loudly, "Oi, blind boy, I'm not sure if this matters to you or not, but let me show you an ingredient a small-timer like you'll never get to handle! This is the ultimate meat!" With that, a very large slab of beef fillet stamped with an A5 rolled onto the stage.

Sōma sniffed the air and said with a smirk "Japanese Back Wagyu that's been aged. You think I'm surprised by that? I already knew you were going to use that, the smell of it was all over you when we met three days ago. So you going to cook it or just show it off like a statue?"

Ikumi flushed red and shouted at Sōma to shut up before she pulled her butcher cleaver out and started slicing the slab of meat with it. The Meat Master seared the slab, constantly basting it in melted butter.

"Mmm! The rich scent of butter is filling the arena! The smell alone is enough to make me hungry," Urara said through the mic as a bit of drool dripped down the corners of her mouth.

With a smirk, Ikumi thought 'By searing the meat on all sides, I'm building a barrier that will keep all of the meat's juices inside.' The next thing Ikumi did was putting the marble of meat in the oven. She glanced at Sōma's station, wondering what he was doing.

Urara then announced, "Let's take a look at the other side of the- EEEEEEEKKKK!"

Sōma jumped as he dropped the knife he was using to mince the onions and stated in a panic "What! What happened!? Is there a fire!?"

"Nii-san calm down there's no fire," Mayu stated as she placed a hand on her brother's shoulder and added, "Stand still, the knife's on the edge of the table, blade pointing out."

Sōma blinked and said, "If there's no fire then why'd the MC scream?"

"Ano, Sōma-kun, why don't you let Mayu-chan chop the onions, so you don't cut yourself," Urara said in a worried tone.

"Are you kidding me? Are you f*ing kidding me? THAT's why you screamed?" Sōma snapped at Urara before adding in a hissed tone "Do you know how f*ing dangerous that was? I had a knife in my hand, I could've accidentally stabbed either myself or Mayu because of you!"

"I was just trying to help, I mean, since you're blind and all," Urara said into the mic as she took a step back. She'd NEVER had anyone snap at her like that.

"Help? Help?! The only thing you would have "Helped" with that scream was putting someone in the hospital!" Sōma shouted at the MC.

Mayu then added in a harsh tone with her hands on her hips "I believe I told you that Sōma is perfectly capable of cooking on his own, that INCLUDES using a knife. It doesn't matter that he's blind or not, you do NOT scream like that unless it's a REAL emergency!" Mayu then stomped towards Urara as Sōma carefully felt around for the knife, so he could continue chopping the onion, and practically shouted at the MC "Do something like that again and I WILL file a complaint that you were more interested in distracting Nii-san from cooking rather than doing your job and have you thrown out of the Shokugeki arena. Am I clear?"

"Cr-crystal cl-clear," Urara stuttered out before quickly walking away from the brunette.

Ikumi and the rest of the arena was utterly stunned and very quiet. Okay, yeah, that whole incident was called for, but...

The Meat Master went back to cooking her dish. She didn't even look at the blind student when he pulled out some cheap meat he got on sale, she didn't even complain about it. The audience, who seemed to hate Sōma said absolutely nothing about the cheap meat.

Even the seven members of the Elite Ten were completely silent about it.

~}i{~

It was now time to present the dishes.

Ikumi presented her dish first.

"This is my dish, an A5 Wagyu Rôti Don," Ikumi said with a smile.

First Judge: Traditional Inn Kuraki CEO, Kuraki Shigeno. She said with a smile "My! The slices of meat are arranged like flower petals. I never thought I'd see such a lovely Donburi."

The three judges took a bite of the dish.

"It's so wonderfully delicious, it makes me weak in the knees!" Kuraki stated with glee.

Second Judge: Japanese Black Wagyu Critic, Bito Yoshiki. He said "This! That powerful intensely rich flavor is the true greatness of A5 beef. And this cut was roasted taking into consideration the angle of heat! Heating a cut of meat perpendicularly to its grain ensures the meat will heat evenly and that the greatest amount of juices will be produced. First class chefs always read the meat's grain when they cook it!"

Third Judge: TV Show 'Bring It On! Gourmand' Producer, Okamoto Katsunori. He said with glee "Don't forget the rice hiding under the beef petals! Steamed in butter and the beef's own grease, this garlic rice is exquisite. I could probably eat three whole bowls of it just by itself!"

"It's a dish so seductively delicious, it's almost sensual! What a marvelous performance by Mito Ikumi!" Urara announced.

With a smirk, Ikumi thought 'How do you like that, blind boy? This is the real pleasure of meat.'

~}i{~ VIP Lounge ~}i{~

"She's won," Eizan stated as he entertained his fingers together.

"Of coarse she did, I wouldn't let any chefs that are less than perfect in MY faction," Erina said as she flipped her hair.

Rindou yawned and said, "Ma~n how boring, it's like wa~y to obvious that Mito-cha~n is gunna win, she's practically the Goddess of Meat." The cat-eyed Second seat looked at the dish Ikumi made and said: "A~w, I wish I could eat that yummy looking dish too~."

~}i{~ Stage ~}i{~

"Next, let's have the Judges taste Yukihira's dish," Urara announced.

Mayu placed the three bowls on a tray as the MC waled up to her and asked: "And what is the name of the dish?" The brunette frowned at Urara. Mayu grabbed the MC's wrist (the one holding the mic) and positioned it to that it was in front of Sōma.

"It's HIS creation, ask HIM," Mayu said flatly.

"You obviously meant well, I'm sure," Sōma stated sarcastically as he pulled his collapsible cane out of his pocket. "It's called Yukihira Style Chaliapin Steak Don," the blind red head said as he straitened the cane out.

Bito sighed and said "Chaliapin steak, eh? So it's cheap meat tenderized by onions. *Turns to Okamoto* Let me be blunt. This, after that masterpiece of a dish?"

Okamoto agreed by saying "I'd sure like to go home with the taste of A5 beef still on my tongue."

"What is this your first time judging a Shokugeki?" Mayu asked sourly as she slammed the covered bowls in front of the two, causing them to jump. Glaring at them, the brunette snapped "A judge for a Shokugeki is suppose to comment on the food AFTER they taste it, not BEFORE."

The two men couldn't help but tremble in fear. The aura emitting form this teenage girl was like that of a demon.

"Mayumi!" Sōma said, snapping his sister out of the grips of the unholy aura. "Calm down! There's no need for That," Sōma stated tapping the end of his cane on the ground.

Mayu mumbled an apology before removing the lids off of all of the bowls and poured some sauce on all of them.

Bito picked up the bowl and said with a slight tremble in his voice "Well, ano... It l-looks tastier th-then I expected."

The three judges took a bite of Sōma's dish.

Ikumi scoffed mentally as she thought 'There's no way meat that cheap could make a good dish.'

The next thing everyone in the arena knew, the judges were wolfing down the dish.

The three judges couldn't stop praising and complementing the dish.

"Is there some secret hidden in this dish?" Bito asked as he shoved another scoop of the food into his mouth.

"Yup," Sōma said happily as he grabs a glass jar of his counter and added, "I added in some handmade pickled-plum to the rice."

"To put it simply," Mayu said before adding with a sinister smile "It's crisp plum-seasoned rice."

Bito practically exclaimed "Aha! So that's it! That brisk aftertaste that encourages you to eat another bite is pickled plum! The tender, fragrant steak... The beautifully thickened perfect sauce... And the fresh tartly flavored plum-seasoned rice. Every piece of the Don works to make the others taste even better! You can't help but dive in!" The critic was now scarfing down the bowl.

By the time the three judges came up for air, they'd finish the entire dish.

Kuraki asked if there was enough left over for seconds, she also told Ikumi "Your Rôti Don was an exquisite dish, dear... But THIS is the Don that makes me want more!"

With that, Ikumi noticed that the judges didn't even finish her garlic rice.

"They clash," Sōma told Ikumi before adding "The Wagyu Beef and the garlic rice. Both have strong flavors, so both would compete against each other. Your dish may have seemed like a Don, but it wasn't really one. It's just like the captain said." The blind red head made a circle in the air with his index finger and said "A true Donburi is "Complete in One Bowl"!"

"Sh-shut up!" Ikumi shouted then added "I still say that's all garbage! Your crappy meat can't match my top-quality beef!"

Sōma sighed and said "If you still aren't convinced, how about you give it a listen? Taste what this Don has to say." The red head walked up to his counter and felt around for the bowl he made for Ikumi. When he found it, he held it out to the Meat Master and said: "Dig in."

Ikumi took the bowl from the blind student. After looking at the dish for a bit she took a bite. 'Why?' Ikumi thought as she took another bite. 'Why does this Don taste as good as it is?' she thought as she started scarfing the dish down. 'Damn it! He's right. This Don does have something to say. It's telling me to dig in, in any way I want,' Ikumi thought as she remembered her not so happy ninth birthday. 'Why does this dish keep whispering to me to be who I want to be?' the tanned blond thought as a tear ran down her cheek.

The judges pressed the button of the dish they liked the most.

Winner of the Shokugeki: Yukihira Sōma.

Sōma took off his bandana and said: "Happy to serve!"

Ikumi sank to her knees.

"Oi, Nikumi! Can have a bite of your Don?" Sōma asked happily, like the match never happened.

This angered Ikumi when she snapped "Baka! Don't go getting a big head! And don't you dare call me that name!"

"Why not?" Sōma asked cluelessly, then added, "I think it sounds pretty cute."

Ikumi got flustered.

"I hope we can be friends, Nikumi," Sōma said with a big smile.

Ikumi was red with either embarrassment or heartthrob when she shouted "Y-you baka jerkface," as she raced off.

Sōma waved Ikumi off (in the wrong direction) when he said: "Be sure to stop by the Don RS tomorrow!" Mayu moved Sōma's waving arm in the direction Ikumi went. "Oh, she went that way. Whoops sorry," the red head chuckled out.

~}i{~ VIP Lounge ~}i{~

The seven of the Elite Ten were utterly stunned.

How the hell did that happen!?

~}i{~ The Next Day ~}i{~

Ikumi was pacing outside the Don RS, wearing the Totsuki uniform shirt, skirt, and tie.

"I think it sounds pretty cute," Ikumi remembered Sōma saying the day before. The tanned girl shook her head, trying to get the image out of her head. She quickly fixed her hair, after looking at herself in the reflective window.

Ikumi walked into the Don RS where Konishi greeted her.

"Ano, Where's Yukihira-kun?" Ikumi asked, trying her best not to act too giddy.

Konishi told her that Sōma wasn't actually apart of the Don RS and was just dropping by to see what the RS was about. That ticked Ikumi off.

~}i{~

The day after that, Mito Ikumi's temper suddenly became much shorter.

~}i{~ In the Headmaster's Office ~}i{~

Nakiri Senzaemon just handed Nikiri Erina, Eizan Etsuya, Kinokuni Nene, Saitou Somei, Akanegakubo Momo, Kobayashi Rindou, and Tsukasa Eishi each a uniform for the Yukihira Family Restaurant and some "Real World" instructions in a folder.

'Damn it! He really WAS serious,' the seven thought as they looked at their new respective clothing. The Yukihira Twins were in the office with them.

"Since Pop is out of the country," Mayu started.

"The two of us are in charge of the diner," Sōma finished.

"That means they are your bosses when you are at their diner," Senzaemon stated and added "Meaning you WILL do what they say when you at Yukihira, understood?"

Nikiri Erina, Eizan Etsuya, Kinokuni Nene, Saitou Somei, Akanegakubo Momo, Kobayashi Rindou, and Tsukasa Eishi nodded reluctantly. 'This is sooooooo humiliating,' the seven thought at the same time.

"Don't worry Headmaster, we'll take good care of them at Yukihira during the summer," Sōma said happily. He was glad that he was going to have the extra help when Yukihira Joichiro, the twin's father, was away.

Senzaemon nodded and said, "If they cause any trouble, don't hesitate to call me."

"Don't worry, we will," the twins said in unison.

As the Totsuki students walked out of the Headmaster's office, Mayu said: "Make sure you guys and gals keep those uniforms in good condition, because *demon aura appears around her* if you come to Yukihira without those uniforms you're going to have to work in just your underwear."

Erina turned red, she wasn't sure if it was from anger or embarrassment, as she practically shouted "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING! THERE IS NO WAY I WOULD WEAR THIS *indicating the Yukihira uniform* OR WALK AROUND IN JUST MY UNDERWEAR!"

"You either wear the uniform or nothing at all when you're working at Yukihira, it doesn't matter to me all," Sōma stated as he rubbed his ears. He was blind, so weather someone was standing practically naked in front of him wouldn't matter.

Mayu folded her arms and said "You guys were the one who made the bet with the Headmaster in the first place, so deal with it. Besides, you guys are on a very strict budget now, so I'd make sure those uniforms are in perfect condition when summer comes around. If you don't, well, *demon's back* let's just say you'd better get used to walking around people in your underwear."

"I think we have a couple of extra aprons in the storage area, so I guess you can wear them when you serve the customers," Sōma said as he thought back to his home for his entire life.

"I guess so, I mean, we don't want to scare the customers away," Mayu said as she placed her hands behind her neck.

"There plenty of time until summer, so make sure you keep those uniforms safe until then~," Sōma said happily as he and Mayu started heading back to the Polaris Dorm.

"Hold on!" Eishi finally vocalized. Getting the twins' attention. "Ano, are these uniforms made of cotton or some kind of material that shrinks in the wash? I really don't want to make that mistake and have you two yell at me," the First Seat said nervously as avoided eye contact.

"Nope, no shrinking material. Just make sure to use some kind of fabric softener when you wash them, alright," Sōma said in a pretty casual matter. Mayu was just looking at the First Seat like he was an idiot.

Eishi gave a sigh of relief.

'Was that the only thing he was worried about?' thought the six Seats at the same time.

Sōma and Mayu just left the Seated Elites. The two needed to get to bed early since they were helping out in the Polaris Gardens in the morning.

Nene was the one to finally say to her fellow Elite "This is the punishment we get for _Some_ of us sabotaging the opponents before the Shokugeki."

Eishi then added, "I don't know about all of you but booking all of the kitchens until the Shokugeki didn't make a whole lot of sense, but does that count as sabotage?"

Perhaps these students should think over their methods of operation.

~}i{~

To Be Continued...

~}i{~

1; Yamato Shin is an OC of my creation. He's just there to somewhat mediate the confutation between students, the Elite Ten, the Headmaster, and of coarse Sōma.

2; In this story, Nulls are basically overturns that the Headmaster of Totsuki can use when the Elite Ten makes a decision that the Headmaster finds "Un-Totsuki-like". The Headmaster can also use these Nulls to remove one or more of the seated Elite Ten from their position when they do something unethical. In this case, because Senzaemon found out that some of the Elite Ten members were sabotaging their opponents before the scheduled Shokugeki, he is threatening to have them removed from the Elite Ten. Plus, I also thought that the Headmaster should have SOME kind of say in the decisions of the Elite Ten.

3; Ojisan is Japanese for Uncle.

4; Imōto is Japanese for a younger sister.

5; Ani is Japanese for an older brother.

~}i{~

Gale-Dragon: I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. Please comment and tell me what you think.


	5. 5: Hell Camp pt 1

_Gale-Dragon_ : Hello everyone, sorry for not updating for a while, collage it really taking up a lot of free time.

~}i{~

Shokugeki no Sōma: Nashi Saito de Chīfu. Chapter 5: Hell Camp pt 1

~}i{~

"Talking"

'Thinking'

(Author making comment)

~}i{~

The Polaris Dorm was riding on a bus that was taking them to the Friendship & Team-Building Cooking Camp sight, that camp was better known to the students of Totsuki as 'Hell Camp'. Each member of the dorm was munching on some delicious, handmade onigiri made by Megumi for the long ride. Turns out the country girl is quite the chef, she just had a bit of stage fright and doesn't do very well in front of people. That was the reason why Megumi was doing so horrible in class.

"Megumi-chan," Sōma said, getting the person in question's attention, and added, "I have an idea to help you get over your stage fright." Megumi was listening. "This is sort of how I cook," the blind redhead stated with a soft smile and added "Just focus on the food you're cooking. When you do that, everything in the background just disappears and you can show everyone your skills."

This made Megumi's heart flutter a bit.

Maybe... Maybe this is would help the country girl get through the Hell Camp.

~}i{~

When their bus arrived at the camp location, they couldn't help but be utterly amazed at the magnificent building before them. Okay, well, Yuki was utterly amazed. The location of the camp was at one of the many amazing, five-star resorts that Totsuki owned; although, the one before the Polaris crew was more of the start location of the camp. Sōma had to be the only one in the immediate area who was not staring up at the majestic building. The blind student was more focused on what his sister was saying.

"And make sure you ask where the hot springs are this time around, alright Nii-san. We don't need another incident like last time," Mayu stated as she picked up her bag.

"Don't worry Mayu, I'll make sure to ask," Sōma said with a don't-worry wave.

Mayu rolled her eyes and said, "Just don't cause too much trouble with the employees here."

"Where are you going Mayu?" Ryoko asked the female Yukihira when she saw that she was walking away from the hotel they were supposedly staying at.

"A different hotel for my school," Mayu said simply.

"You're school is at one of the Totsuki Resorts?" Shun asked in a curious tone.

Mayu nodded and explained "Yes, for a mandatory school event. Apparently, my school and Totsuki are on very good terms, so they're using one of the Totsuki Resort Hotels to host their event."

"Ahh," Marui stated adjusting his glasses and said, "So you have to be with your school and you're not going to be here to help Sōma."

"Don't worry," Sōma said with a smile and added, "The resorts have staff that is specially trained to work with guests who are disabled or has a special needs."

"How do you know that?" Yuki asked curiously.

"Oh, the Headmaster told me this before we left," Sōma stated before explaining "There are going to be two of the Totsuki Resort staff members that are going to help me during the camp."

"The Headmaster himself told you..." Ryoko asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah, he had to arrange the help anyway," Mayu stated before one of the Totsuki staff members called the students to come into the resort. Mayu waved bye to her brother and friends and headed off to the resort next door.

The rest of the Polar Star Dorm walked into the 5-star hotel in front of them.

~}i{~

Totsuki Resort Hotel, Totsuki Villa (Grand Ballroom)...

Despite having every single first-year student of the Totsuki Culinary School within its walls, the room was as silent as a soulless graveyard during the night of a new moon. Who could blame them; this was a Training Camp from Hell after all.

"Yukihira?" the Polaris group heard someone from a nearby crowd say. When they (minus Sōma) turned towards the voice they saw Mito Ikumi standing in front of them.

"Oh, Nikumi, it's been a while," Sōma said with a smile as soon as he recognized the voice. The tanned blond immediately turned pink and told the blind redhead not to call her by that nickname out loud. "I thought you were okay with it?" Sōma asked curiously.

Ikumi blushed and practically shouted, "I am NOT okay with it!" Sōma still wasn't getting the implication.

That was when Chapelle made his announcement on the stage over the speakers. "Good morning everyone," Chapelle said into a microphone, getting everyone's attention. The teacher continued "I will now give you a quick overview of this Cooking Camp. Today marks the first day of the Totsuki Institute Friendship and Team-Building Cooking Camp. It will last six days and five nights. Each day, you will be given an assignment that, in some way, relates to the culinary arts. These assignments differ every year. On this first day, all of the 980 students here will be divided into 20 groups. Once this presentation is completed, you are each to proceed to your designated area and join your group. Each instructor will set a baseline grade for each assignment. Any student, who does not meet that grade, will fail. There are buses waiting on hand to send these students back to the Institute immediately... Where they will be formally expelled. Speaking of your instructors, we have invited guest teachers to judge your work." The students immediately wondered who these guests are.

Chapelle then said "Each guest has made time in his or her busy schedule to be here for this camp. Please welcome these Totsuki Institute Alumni."

All of the first-year students turned to stone statues as soon as they heard these words, well, nearly all of the students.

The Totsuki Alumni were the diamond students of Totsuki who had survived all three hellish years of the harsh and demanding school. Here, standing before the new generation of students stood the culinary geniuses who beat the near-impossible single-digit odds to reach graduation at Totsuki.

One of the Alumni, the one with wine red hair and silver glasses, sniffed the air and then said "You there. Ninth row from the front, the boy with the scar above his eye." The nearby students turned to look at Sōma, who made no notion that stated that he knew the Alumni was talking about him.

Shino's :;: French Restaurant :;: Chef Shinomiya Kojirō.

Shinomiya walked towards Sōma, sniffing the air as he did. "Oh, sorry, you," the Alumni stated as he stood in front of the boy standing next to Sōma, and then said rather nonchalantly "You're expelled. You can go home now." That student immediately asked why in a frantic tone.

Shinomiya was about to explain when Sōma said, "Your hair-care product has a citrusy scent to it. That smell can easily overpower the fragrance of whatever you're cooking, not to mention it's a bit on the noxious side."

Shinomiya blinked a bit, noticing that Sōma didn't even look at them when he spoke, then said "That's exactly right! Fashion is an important ingredient. If the chef is unfashionable, then dishes are that much less attractive," then he told the student he just expelled as he turned to walk away "I suggest you choose unscented hair-care products in the future."

Sōma really wanted to disagree with the whole 'fashionable' thing the Alumni was talking about, but the expelled student suddenly shouted "Wait! Expelled! For that one little thing?!"

Shinomiya glared at the former student from over his shoulder and growled out "That "one little thing" is enough to lose your customers. Are you trying to run my restaurant out of business?" That nearly made the boy wet himself. Sōma couldn't help but notice the word usage in that sentence.

"That's Chef Shinomiya! He's the first Japanese chef to be awarded France's Plusol Award!" one student shouted as soon as they saw the redheaded Alumni.

Shinomiya walked away from the crestfallen boy, glancing secretly at the redheaded boy only to notice that he had his hands resting on top of a white cane. The Alumni said nothing as he continued to walk back to the stage.

Ristorante F :;: Italian Restaurant :;: Chef Mizuhara Fuyumi

Ginza Hinowa :;: Sushi Restaurant :;: Head Chef Sekimori Hitoshi.

Neither the Italian chef nor the sushi chef made any notion that they even acknowledged the students, or if they were excited to be here. Hard to tell what they were thinking with those blank expressions.

Poor Megumi was getting some rather "unpleasant" attention from two of the Alumni. Okay, they were flattering and nice, but they were scaring the poor timid student.

Tezoro :;: French Auberge :;: Chef Gotoda Donato.

Kirinoya :;: Japanese Restaurant :;: Chef Inui Hinako.

Chapelle's glaring at the two flirty Alumni was enough to cause for them to finally leave poor Megumi alone and head back to the stage.

Now the main focus was on a towering figure surrounded by a blazingly bright and frightening aura on stage.

Totsuki Resort's Head Chef and Company Director:;: Dōjima Gin.

Dōjima Gin was literally one half of the Legendary Duo of the Totsuki Culinary Institute, Totsuki's First Seated Gemini Chefs.

Why was this title so big at Totsuki? The two students that made the famed Gemini Chefs could never defeat each other, nor could they win against one another, not even for the famous and most sought after 1st Seat of the Elite Ten. So, since every single Shokugeki the two Gemini Chefs invoked for the right to be 1st Seat kept ending in a tie, they both became the 1st Seat of the Elite Ten. The first time this has EVER in Totsuki's long lustrous history. The two Gemini Chefs where Dōjima Gin and a person by the surname of Saiba, who disappeared years ago (close to two decades to be more precise).

So basically, the imposing figure standing on stage before the first-year students was one of the greatest diamonds to ever come out of Totsuki.

Chapelle handed the mic over to Dōjima for him to make his speech.

Dōjima began his speech "Welcome, everyone to the Totsuki Resort Hotels. The Alumni gathered here today are all head chefs and owners of their own restaurants. For the six days, you are here, you will each be treated as one of their employees. In other words, that means if your work isn't up to our standards... *Runs his right thumb across his throat* You're Fired! As you've already seen, the instructors can expel you at any time for any reason. I wish you all the best of luck. That is all."

With that, the students were scattered into the 20 groups.

~}i{~

Sōma and Megumi were in the same group and their instructor for sed group was Inui Hinako, much to the poor country girl's dismay.

Inui told everyone to gather in pairs of two, the same pairs that were assigned in Chapelle-sensei's class. This made Megumi's heart swell with joy as she immediately ran up to the blind redhead.

"Yukihira-dono?" asked one of two of the resort staff members who walked up to Sōma.

"That's me, how can I help you?" the redhead asked as he turned to the voice.

"Ah, no, we're a part of the 'Assisted Help' staff for the resort," the other staff member said with a smile.

"Ah, you're the ones the Headmaster told me about. I do have to thank you for volunteering for this," Sōma said with a small smile. The two introduced themselves as Nabu and Aki. They told the redhead that they would be helping him in dressing his plates during the assignments that do not involve a teammate.

Inui got the two Assisted Help staff members' attention and asked to talk to them. This, in turn, gave a blond teen the opportunity to stomp on Sōma's foot and grind it. "Since you're still going, I'm going to assume that you did that on purpose," Sōma said in a rather unfazed tone.

The blond smirked and said, "Yep. I was hoping I'd go against you sometime in camp, but never thought I'd get my chance on day one." A more rounded teen with semi-wavy short black hair and a menacing looking glare stood behind the blond.

Megumi started shaking when she stuttered with fear tears in her eyes "Ano, e-excuse me? Th-this is already a really hard class... I, ano, don't think we should be fighting... So, ano, guys?" The teenage boys made the notion that they heard the poor nervous girl.

The blond smirked and said, "I finally have a chance to stomp you flat, Yukihira Sōma!"

That was when Sōma smirked back and said, "Well good for you and congrats. So listen, I get you're trying to pick a fight, but you can get off my foot now. You've made your point so you can stop."

Inui suddenly opened a snack bag, and thus getting the group of students' attention as she said, "All right, everyone!" The Totsuki graduate sat on a bench with a platter of tea and added, "I will be sitting right here, so if you have any questions about today's assignment, feel free to ask." One of the students told chef Inui that she hasn't told them what the assignment was. "Oh? I haven't?" Inui asked rather absentmindedly. The chef stood from her seat and said, "Goodness, I guess I best explain it, then." The majority of the student in the group wasn't sure what to say at the moment.

Chef Inui waved her right hand in the air and said "My assignment, is to use these ingredients here," then moved her hand towards some bare table and window that was showing a beautiful nature setting with the running river, lush green trees, and grass in the background, and added "To cook a Japanese main dish. Any dish will be fine." One of the students told the Totsuki graduate that there wasn't anything there (on the table). Inui giggled before saying very happily "Oh, yes there is. There are lots of things! A beautiful bountiful nature, a clear blue river. It's a treasure trove of wonderful ingredients!" The reaction of the group, or rather, the entire group minus four certain individuals (pretty sure you know who they are ready ;-)) were utterly surprised by that particular fact.

Inui continued her explanation of the assignment "This building and property have long been privately held by the Totsuki Institute. A fence marks its boundaries. If you cross that fence, you fail. To pass this assignment, you must find your ingredients inside this area only, prepare them, and present them to me and these two (waves to Nabu and Aki, who waved back) in a Japanese dish that meets our approval."

Sōma had to cover his ears as those same 45 students gasped in a deafening tone. 'Honestly, why are they so surprised? It's a hell camp after all,' the blind red had thought as he uncovered his ears to hear the rest of the assignment.

"Any seasonings, oils, and utensils you may need are provided inside this room. You may also use any of the fishing rods and hunting equipment located in the shed," Inui explained happily. The Totsuki graduate happily clapped her hands together and said "You have two hours. Ready? Begin." It took a few seconds, but those same 45 students who kept getting shocked and loud finally realized that the assignment had finally begun.

Sōma quickly covered his ears again when a barrage of noises exploded in the kitchen/hall/classroom. 45 out of the 49 students were talking over one another in a panic, trying to find out what ingredients they need for a main Japanese dish, where to find the ingredients they need in the environment and the fact that they only had two hours to get everything prepared. As soon as all of the noisy students were gone, Sōma uncovered his ears and thought 'Cht, with the way they were acting, you would think that they were just told that the entire world was going to end in two hours rather than a cooking assignment. That's rather pathetic, and not just by Totsuki standards. '

"Let's make a contest of it, Yukihira," Sōma blinked when he heard the foot stomper's voice.

"Contest?" The blind redhead repeated in confusion.

With a confident smile on his face, the blond teen stated "Yes. Let's decide which of us is better, once and for all!" The blonde walked up to the Totsuki graduate and said in that same confident tone "Chef Inui! I would like to hand this decision to you. Your impartial judgment can put this matter to rest, and declare for all which one of us made the better dish!"

The young woman blinked in a slightly surprised manner before saying "Hm? Why would I want to do that? It has nothing to do with my assignment, so I'd rather not, thanks anyway," then popped a Kaki no Tane cracker into her mouth. Nabu and Aki couldn't help but feel sorry for the teen at the moment.

"Huh? O-oh… Ano… I see," the blond's confidence flew right out the window at this point.

Megumi felt a little sorry for the blond while Sōma snickered a bit and said "So now what? Your antics have turned this awkward, y'know."

The rounded teen burst out in laughter when he said "GWAH HA HA! That was so lame, Nii-chan (1)! HAHA!"

The blond then shouted in a panicked and annoyed tone "SH-SHUT UP! DON'T YOU START LAUGHING TOO!"

Megumi now had a shocked look on her face when she thought 'Nii-chan? They're related? They don't look anything alike!'

Sōma raised a brow and thought 'So there are other twins attending Totsuki.'

The blond turned his attention back on the blind redhead and stated in a matter-of-fact tone "A-Anyway! I will never lose to you Yukihira! Anything you make, I will make better!" The chubby brunette grabbed the blond by the collar as the blond shouted "YOU HEAR ME YUKIHIRA?!" the pudgy brunette then started dragging his twin brother away as he said pretty casually "Okay, time to go, Nii-chan."

Well, that was odd.

Megumi quickly told Sōma "S- Sōma, we ought to hurry with our dish too!"

Sōma nodded and stated "You're right, but we need to think carefully about the ingredients that we're going to put into our dish and how we should acquire them. Is there a map of the property?" The country girl quickly looked around the room. As soon as she spotted a map, Megumi grabbed Sōma's hand and dragged him towards it.

Chef Inui saw this and smiled before popping another cracker into her mouth.

}i{

Outside on the property grounds, more specifically, around a clear, rushing river…..

45 out of the 49 were by the river, collecting ingredients for their dishes, or trying to. Some of these students were shouting and arguing about not being able to catch any fish, some who DID catch a fish were talking about their dish and realized that they don't have access to certain ingredients, and there were some that were looking for simple ingredients that were literally right in front of them but weren't able to see them due to the stress of the assignment.

}i{

With a smirk and while munching on her snack, Chef Inui thought 'When people are thrust into sudden, unforeseen situations, their field of vision shrinks considerably. Their thoughts scatter and go in circles. They don't think their choices or actions through. *sips her tea* This assignment is just a small test. Any chef who fails something this minor has no place at Totsuki.' The accomplished chef casually glanced at a big map of the property of the building she was currently in that she placed on one of the walls before all of the students arrived, just to see if anyone would even notice the big obvious thing during the assignment. With a smile, Inui saw Megumi looking of the map and telling Sōma what was on the property. 'Those two are off to a good start,' the Empress of the Mist thought as she popped another cracker into her mouth. She couldn't wait to see how many students would actually succeed in this small assignment and she also wondered what the blind student could do.

~}i{~

Megumi and Sōma decided to head to the barns to get their ingredients for their dish since the rivers were crowded and too noisy.

The blind redhead told the country girl "Just because the theme was Japanese, doesn't mean we have to use fish as the main ingredient." So the two were currently looking in the barn, and both were relatively surprised that they were the only ones there.

"Sōma, would chicken make a good ingredient for a Japanese dish?" Megumi asked her blind teammate as she watched as he somehow managed to get ahold of a freshly laid chicken egg with minimal damage from the mother hen.

"Chicken should be fine, but we still need…" Sōma said before remembering the criteria for the assignment. "Whatever is 'Here'," the redhead muttered as he remembered the sound of Chef Inui munching on some kind of cracker.

"Megumi, what was Chef Inui eating when she gave us our assignment?" Sōma asked his teammate as he carefully placed the fresh egg in a basket while simultaneously keeping the hen away.

Megumi blinked a bit in confusion and said "Ano, she was eating Kaki no Tane Crackers… They go really well with some green tea, but why'd'ya want to know that?"

Sōma smirked and stated, "I know how we can use chicken in a Japanese dish." Megumi knew that smirk, that smirk meant that the blind redhead had something amazing planned. "Do you think you can find some herbs in the area if I told you what to look for?" Sōma asked the country girl, whom in turned nodded and said "Yes I can. I use ta go foraging in the mountains a lot back home."

The blind redhead couldn't help but smile.

~}i{~

Sōma and Megumi had to return to the kitchen because A) they needed to procure a cooking station, B) Sōma needed to memorize the structure of the station so he can cook, and C) Sōma could de-feather the chicken after he memorizes the cooking station layout. The duo ran into the cheeky blond and the chubby brunette right outside the door. Sōma immediately started teasing the blond about his earlier behavior as the flustered blond started shouting at the redhead to shut up.

The first thing Sōma noticed as he entered the kitchen was the heavy scent of fish in the air. "Did everyone go to the river for fish?" the blind student asked no one in particular as he pitched his nose. A lot of the students seemed to be grilling their fish, from what Sōma could smell.

The blond scoffed and said "Just because the dish has to be Japanese doesn't mean it MUST be fish. Cht, honestly, doesn't anyone here have any creativity at all?" This got the other students attending.

While still pitching his nose, Sōma said "Actually, Megumi and I are using a chicken we found in the barn. So, what did you find to use Mr. Oh-so-creative?"

That was when the blond flashed a plucked waterfowl out so everyone could see and said: "I found a Duck."

The other students were utterly shocked at the find, most of them wondering where on earth he found a duck. With a smirk, the blond said "And not just ducks, they had chickens and rabbits inside the area too. I was totally surprised that no one even thought to look for them!" This caused the other students to the yammer about how they missed the obvious fact that there were more than just fish in the area as well as chatter about not knowing how to dress a duck or rabbit. The blonde immediately shooed away the other students so he could get to a cooking station. The blond placed a hand on Sōma's shoulder, telling him to move out of the way too. That was when Sōma felt about the other's hand.

The next thing everyone knew, Sōma grabbed the blonde's hand as he was moving away, and thus causing the blonde to go off balance for a second. "Oi! What the hell are you doing!" the blond shouted with red cheeks as the redhead rubbed his hand, this earned stares from everyone in the kitchen.

Sōma released the blonde's hand and said, "Sorry, *moves out of the way* go right ahead." With red still dusting his cheeks, the blond immediately rushed past Sōma to the nearest cooking station. Megumi was a bit confused with her teammate's odd behavior.

The blonde and brunette twins started cooking. "Isami, butcher and trim this, would ya?" The blonde told the brunette.

The chubbier twin gave a toothy grin and had a menacing gleam in his eyes when he said: "On it!"

Faster than the eye can see, the brunette started slicing the duck with ease.

Megumi was amazed at what she saw and thought 'Oh, wow! He's slicing off the breast and thigh meat with such precision! He's going so fast, but he hasn't hit the bird's innards at all!'

The chubby brunette noticed the country girl staring at him and asked in a completely calm tone "Hm? Do you need something?"

Megumi immediately, and nervously, stated "O-oh! No, I-I was just thinking how good you are at that."

The brunette twins chuckled and said "You think so? Thanks… But my Nii-chan is three times faster at it than I am." That was when Megumi was able to see the blonde sliced the duck chunks in a way that will allow for it to absorb more sauce so fast she didn't even see it happen. The blonde rolled the duck in bread, added some spice, grilled it on a frying pan, carefully poured out the fat from the pan; all of this was done with ease.

'There's no delay, no wasted movement, every emotion flows seamlessly from one into the next. It's amazing! Who is he?' Megumi thought as she watched the blond in amazement.

Sōma walked up next to Megumi and said: "Yeah, I'm not surprised he can do that much, at least." The country girl turned to Sōma and asked what he meant. Resting his hands on the top of his cane and said: "His hands are the hands of someone who knows their way around a real kitchen." Megumi blinked before she realized that that must have been the reason why Sōma was feeling the blonde's hands.

'Sōma must've noticed something about his hands and felt them, to confirm his suspicions,' the country girl thought as she made sense of her teammate's earlier behavior.

The blonde brushed some sauce onto the duck and placed it in the oven. "Forno (Italian for 'Oven')… Accendere (Italian for 'Alright')…" The blond said softly as he watched the oven heat up. "Oh, right. I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Aldini Takumi," the blonde said with a confident smile, before adding "And this is my younger twin brother, Aldini Isami. We work at our family's Trattoria back home in Italy."

"Trattoria?" Megumi asked out loud.

Takumi explained to the country girl "It's the Italian word for a lower-end eatery that serves the masses." This got Sōma's attention pretty quickly. Takumi rubbed his left sleeve as he said "I'm just like you, Yukihira. I too am a chef who's spent his life protecting the family restaurant." The chef showed the country girl and redhead the name stitched onto his sleeve 'Trattoria Aldini'. With a smirk on his face, Takumi stated "What was it you said? You have "No intention of losing to anyone who hasn't served a single customer"? How about you save that line until _after_ you've beaten me. Yukihira or Aldini… I don't care if you're blind or not, I will prove to you that I am better!"

With a smirk on his face and as he wrapped his bandanna around his head, Sōma stated "Sounds interesting. Bring it on!"

"By the way, what's the name of your family restaurant?" Sōma asked the Aldini twins as he found an unoccupied cooking station. It took a few seconds for Takumi to realize that Sōma couldn't have seen the uniform of the Trattoria Aldini.

The blond blushed at that simple fact as he said, "It's called Trattoria Aldini…"

Isami couldn't help but snicker at his older brother's silly mistake as he thought 'And Nii-chan thought he sounded so cool when he said he didn't care if Sōma was blind or not.'

Sōma smiled and said "That has a nice ring to it. My family's restaurant is called Shokujidokoro Yukihira."

As the duck was cooking in the oven, Takumi pulled out a Mezzaluna, Italian for a half-moon blade.

Inui noted 'It's a two-handed blade that is used in many facets of Italian cooking.'

That was when Takumi started mincing the vegetables into a past at an incredible speed. Isami then told his brother "Seven minutes until the breast meat is finished roasting."

Takumi happily told his twin "Good! We'll use that time to finish the salsa!"

"Okay, Nii-chan," was all the chubbier twin stated casually. The next thing everyone knew, Takumi handed the Mezzaluna off to Isami, whom in turn started mincing more vegetables. The two finished off their dish with utter ease.

The Aldini twins were the first ones to check in with Chef Inui. With a smile, Takumi said "Light and casual is the hallmark of true Italian cooking." The 45 other students in the group were utterly flabbergasted at how fast the Italian twins made their dish, not to mention finding all the ingredients in the immediate area. Mind you it didn't even take the twins an hour to make their dish.

Aldini Twin's Dish ~ Spicy Roasted Duck with Green Salsa~.

With a mellow smile, Takumi said "Bon Appetito," to the Totsuki graduate.

When Chef Inui took a bite out of the roasted duck meat, she felt that the whole dish tasted like she was being serenaded by a handsome man in a corny duck outfit that she would gladly give into. Inui also noted that the Salsa Verde that the Aldini twins used was the instant version, not the regular version that took a little over a week to make, and that it was made of uruka (a sweetfish), flavored with soy sauce, salt, and mirin. The young woman noted that minced Japanese perilla leaves and green onion to give the salsa its green colour. Another thing Inui noted was the yuzukosho (a seasoning made from chili peppers, yuzu fruit peels, and salt) was also used, which gave the salsa a distinctive Japanese flavor, to make a Japanese-Style Salsa Verde.

The 45 students couldn't help but be utterly impressed by the sheer fact that the half-Italians were able to find so many ingredients in the area, let along Japanese ingredients.

Nabu and Aki tried the dish; both couldn't help but smile at the flavor. To them, it felt like they were at a beautiful opera with hundreds of adorable little ducklings watching a mallard duck singing out loud. The two staff members nodded at the Totsuki graduate. With a smile, Inui said "Aldini Takumi, Aldini Isami… You pass!"

The half-Italian twins fist-bumped each other and said at the same time "Grazie (Italian for 'Thank you or Thanks')!"

Megumi couldn't help but note how alike Sōma and Takumi were in terms of being able to think on their feet when it comes to making a dish.

"Oi, Chef Inui," Sōma said to the Totsuki graduate, who did acknowledge the redhead before he asked, "Ya mind if I tasted the duck?" Inui blinked a bit before she handed Sōma the plate and gave him a pair of chopsticks. After tapping on the plate to search for the meat, he took a bit of the duck. Takumi raised a brow at the redhead's actions. "It's good," Sōma stated after he swallowed the dish, then added, "I never actually had a duck like this before, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but this is pretty good."

"So you admit that I made an amazing dish," Takumi stated in a completely confident tone.

Sōma finished what he had on his chopsticks and said in a completely nonchalant tone "Yeah, I mean, it was really good." That really caught the older Aldini twin off guard and caused the younger to chuckle at the blonde's actions. Takumi wasn't actually expecting Sōma to complement the dish he and his brother made.

"The two of you are challenging each other if I recall correctly, right?" Inui asked the half-Italian twins, country girl, and blind redhead, all of whom nodded in agreement. "If I can expect a dish on par with what I just tasted, then I shall gladly make an exception and judge for you which one is tastier," Inui stated in a completely calm tone. Takumi was utterly excited until the Totsuki graduate started talking about…. Uh, let's just say that what she was suggesting really didn't match her semi-absentminded demeanor.

"Ano, she's talking a little too fast for me. What is she saying?" Sōma asked the blond, who had a WTF look on his face as the accomplished chef went on with the "odd" requirements should one of the two teams lose.

"Ano, don't worry about the losing condition," Takumi stated in a deadpan tone as he watched Inui holding Megumi's hands and complementing the poor terrified country girl about her lovely fingers. Isami, Nabu, and Aki were a little weirded out over Inui's obviously "weird" behavior, more on describing the "Losing Conditions" then scaring poor Megumi out of her skin.

After Sōma placed the plate on a nearby countertop, he told Megumi to get the things he asked for as he started memorizing the layout of the cooking station. The country girl nodded, pulled out a piece of paper (she had a notepad on her for moments like this) that she had written all the ingredients that Sōma told her to look for on, and she trekked off back into the fenced in area of the property. Sōma then walked back to the Totsuki graduate and asked "Chef Inui. You said as long as it's _Here_ , we can use Anything, right?"

Blinking in a bit of confusion, Inui said, "Yes, you can use anything found within the fenced-in area." She wasn't sure why the blind redhead was asking this question.

With a smirk and as he felt the bench that the graduate was sitting on, Sōma said, "Then it should be fine if we use *swiped the bag of Kaki no Tane crackers off the plate* _This_ for our dish." Inui wasn't too happy about the fact that Sōma took her snack, but she had to accept it. After all, it WAS within the scope of the rules for this assignment.

'Yukihira, what on earth are you thinking?' Takumi wondered before Sōma asked him to hold onto the bag of crackers for him while he memorizes the layout of the cooking station. Without much of a choice, the older Aldini was left holding the bag of crackers as the blind redhead walked off towards a free cooking station (using his cane to guide him). Takumi looked at the Kaki no Tane crackers and wondered what this was going to be used for.

}i{ 20 Minutes left for the Assignment }i{

Inui, Nabu, and Aki took a bit of another team's dish. "This wasn't tasty at all," the female chef stated as the other two nodded in agreement. "Do it again," was all Inui said as a hoard of students were in the mists of despair because they were failing this first assignment. Truth be told, you can count on one hand how many pairs have actually passed this assignment, the Aldini twins being one of those pairs.

Inui then started talking at Aki and Nabu about the fact that all of these grilled fish were starting to taste the same. "I know that we're not really trained for this type of thing, but you do have a valid point, Inui-sama," Aki stated as he ran a hand through his brown hair.

Nabu thumped his chest before saying "I've never had that much fish before. Urp! I think I'm going to need an antacid and a mint." Inui then told all who did not pass that they still had time to make another dish before time was up. These students were really starting to panic and racing out of the kitchen.

Isami grinned and said, "Boy, I'm really glad we passed already, Nii-chan." Before looking at the obviously annoyed and fidgeting blond and added, "So how about you relax a little?"

Takumi was watching Sōma as de-feathered the chicken when he said "Doesn't Yukihira realize he has less than 20 minutes left? And that his teammate hasn't come back yet?"

Isami simply stated "But if he runs at a time, then you win by default, right? What's wrong with that?"

That was when Takumi shouted at his younger brother in his over-passionate tone "What I want is a Head-to-Head, All-out Battle! I will not accept any stupid "Victory by Default"! Don't you understand? There's no real satisfaction in winning that way."

Isami's smile faded as he said, "Okay, Nii-chan, I understand."

That was when one of the other team pairs walked up to the half-Italian twins and asked: "Then what was the point of you challenging him to a cook-off anyway?"

"Yeah, I mean, it's pretty much an easy victory," said the other student on the team.

"What do you mean by that?" the Aldini twins asked at the same time, neither understanding what that team meant by that statement.

"The guy's blind. Not much he can do on his own," said one-half of the other team pair with a shrug, then the other has stated "The only reason he's even lasted this long at Totsuki had to be out of pity. He'll be kicked out with this assignment."

The Aldini just looked at this team in pure shock. 'How could these two be talking about Yukihira like that? Did they not see his Shokugeki with Mito Ikumi? And how well he did during that match? Not the mention the pure fact that he won? With his own cooking skills?' Takumi and Isami thought at the same time. True, Sōma speech at the opening ceremony was one reason why the older Aldini twin targeted the redhead, but the thing that solidified Takumi's goal on making Sōma his rival was the Shokugeki the redhead was in. During that very Shokugeki, the Aldinis could easily see that Sōma had the pure skills to back up his words.

"If you two bozos have time to talk shit about someone, then I can assume that you're finished with the assignment," Sōma stated in a cold, icy tone as he rinsed off the now featherless chicken in the sink, then he added "And considering how loud you're talking, you wanted me to hear that."

The annoying team folded their arms and snickered "So what if we did?"

Sōma scoffed and stated plainly "Then it means you guys aren't worth the time of day."

That team took that really personally when one snapped "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

The blind redhead sniffed the air and asked: "Is someone burning their fish on purpose, or is someone not paying attention to their dish?" The Aldini twins then sniffed the air. Yup, something was defiantly burning. A stack of smoke was spotted emitting from a cooking station nearby.

"Crap! Our fish!" the team standing next to the half-Italian twins shouted as they rushed towards their station. Inui immediately failed the team, due to their safety negligent. (Safety Lesson; Never leave a working stove unattended when it's on and if there's something on it).

Megumi managed to burst into the kitchen with the food items on the list she made in a nice little basket. The country girl raced up to Sōma and said in an out of breath tone "I got everything on tha list."

The blind redhead smiled and said "Thanks, Megumi."

That was when Takumi shouted at the country girl "YOU'RE LATE! THERE'S ONLY HAVE 15 MINUTES LEFT! ARE YOU TRYING TO FAIL SO YOU CAN MAKE YUKIHIRA ESCAPE WITHOUT A FIGHT?!" While the blond was shouting, scaring poor Megumi out of her skin and accidentally squeezing the Kaki no Tane bag in his hand. Isami immediately told his older brother that he was crushing the bag.

Takumi immediately started apologizing to Sōma, whom nonchalantly stated "Don't worry about it. You actually saved us some time, so thanks," as the blond handed the redhead, who was holding his hand out, the crushed bag of crackers in confusion. Sōma then added as he wrapped his bandana around his forehead "And besides, we've got a whole 15 minutes to work with." Takumi was a bit confused by that before Sōma stated: "If I made our customers at the restaurant waits that long they'd all go home."

After rolling up his sleeves, Sōma said: "Let's get started, Megumi!" The country girl agreed to that and started preparing the vegetables. Megumi then remembered when Sōma walked back with her to the kitchen after they got their chicken.

}i{ Flashback }i{

"Deep-fry the chicken? Isn't that practically a dime a dozen in the food industry?" Megumi asked Sōma as they walked down a path towards the kitchen before she asked "And besides, we don't have flour, panko, or anything we can use for the breading? Ano, you were planning on using some kind of breading on the chicken, right?"

Sōma smirked and stated "I know that, but don't worry; we already have the perfect breading for the chicken. It just doesn't look like breading at the moment."

}i{ End Flashback }i{

Takumi was looking over the ingredients that Sōma and Megumi collected. 'Saving him time?' the blond wondered before he finally realized what the redhead was planning. As he watched Sōma pour the Kaki no Tane into a clear plastic bag, Takumi thought 'Yukihira is going to crush those crackers and use them as breading for the chicken!' The blind redhead then started pounding the crackers with some kind of hammer (that's actually used for cooking).

Inui watched as Sōma and Megumi cooked their dish. The Totsuki graduate couldn't help but be rather impressed by the pure fact that the blind redhead made absolutely no hesitation in any of his movements as he cooked, not even when he was cutting the chicken. Mind you Inui was also watching Megumi as well, but the way the redhead was moving… 'You'd think he had a perfectly normal vision," Inui thought to herself. Aki and Nabu were watching as well and couldn't help but wonder if Sōma was actually going to need their help during the rest of the camp. The rest of the students who either passed (remember, only a few actually did), failed or completely given up on the assignment were utterly awestruck by the display that the redhead was doing, how flawless each one of Sōma's movements was.

After a good five minutes, Sōma and Megumi presented the three their dish. "Oh my, look at this! My Kaki no Tane crackers have turned into a lovely breading!" the accomplished chef said with utter glee.

With a smile, Sōma said "Go on, Chef Inui. Don't let it get cold now. Dig in."

With that, Inui, Nabu, and Aki took bits out of their respective pieces of the dish. The two Assisted Help staff couldn't help but feel like they've been pulled into a wide open field of pure, utter joy. "What a wonderful crunch! And yet the chicken's meat was still hot and deliciously juicy! The breading perfectly contained inside its protective shell the savory flavor of the chicken!"

Aki looked at the strip of deep-fried chicken and said "The Kaki no Tane crackers were already seasoned, right? So the breading itself was had a solid, delicious taste." All of the other students were practically drooling at the sight of the dish. "Not to mention the dipping sauce is perfect! The Ki no Me (the young leaves of the Japanese pepper plant) mixed with the Tamago no Moto is positively light and fluffy!" Nabu said as he dipped his chicken strip in the dip before taking a bit.

Tamago no Moto; mayonnaise without the vinegar, it is simply egg yolks and vegetable oil whisked into a creamy consistency. It's often used to bring ingredients together or to add flavor to a dish.

"Some salt and minced Ki no Me as an overall refreshing taste to the chicken erasing any oiliness and giving it a refined flavor. That wonderfully smooth creaminess hiding between the crispy crunchiness of the breading really spurs the appetite!" Inui stated with a happy smile.

Then Nabu said "Don't forget the breading and deep-fried mountain vegetables on the side cannot be ignored, either. They provide an eye-pleasing contrast with a range side-by-side with the deep-fried chicken."

Megumi then asked Sōma "Where on earth did you get the idea for this?"

With a smile, the blind redhead said "In Japanese cooking, there's a type of tempura called Okakiage. Basically, when deep-frying things, you used crushed-up Okaki rice crackers instead of panko to give the dish some uniqueness and kick. I made this at home once when I was a kid with my dad."

That was when Takumi asked, "And that gave you the idea to use the Kaki no Tane crackers in place of the Okaki rice crackers?"

Sōma nodded and stated, "I call it the, *pause to think* Ah!, Yukihira style Okaki-no-Tane Chicken!"

"Did you just make that name up?" Takumi asked in a bit of a huff. Sōma chuckled out a yes.

Nabu and Aki nodded at Inui, who stated "Yukihira Sōma, Tadokoro Megumi. You Pass!"

Megumi patted Sōma on the shoulder when he said: "Happy to serve!"

~}i{~

Inui clapped her hands and said in pure joy "Time's up! This concludes today's assignment." With these very words, 39 of the 49 students were on their knees in utter despair because of the simple fact that they failed the assignment, while six of the 49 students sighed with complete relief due to the fact that they were able to pass.

Takumi got the Totsuki graduate's attention by saying "Chef Inui. Would you please give your judgment on our dishes? Please." Nabu and Aki turned their attention to the female chef. Inui was about to make her decision when her phone rang. She picked up the phone and said to the person on the other line "Goodness, what is it? I'm in the middle of an important decisi-"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, HINAKO?! IT'S PAST TIME FOR YOU TO BRING YOUR GROUP BACK HERE!" The students could easily hear whoever is on the other end of that call. "QUIT SCREWING AROUND AND GET YOUR ASS HERE, YOU IDIOT!" Shouted the caller.

Inui then got all panicky when she said: "I-I'm so sorry, Chef Shinomiya!" Then she told everyone that they needed to hurry back to the hotel. NOW! She hung up and was about to rush towards the bus when she was stopped by Takumi and Sōma asking her about who won. "Oh dear, I almost forgot," Inui stated before calming down and saying "My official decision, is that this challenge is a draw. Now everyone, hurry to the buses! Fill the seats from back to front!" The accomplished chef then raced off towards the entrance of the building.

"Well now… That was anticlimactic," Sōma basically said nonchalantly. Takumi had to agree with that.

Then the blond got back into his fiery mode when he said: "But we _WILL_ have a match that will show which of us is the better chef!"

"Sure, whatever. But how do you wanna do it?" Sōma asked in a pretty nonchalant tone of voice.

Pointing at the blind redhead, Takumi stated in a completely calm and sure voice "A Shokugeki! One day, I will challenge you! Don't try to get out of it. Accept it like a man. On that day, I will stomp you flat! Look forward to it, Yukihira. And do try to get better." Takumi then turned, heading towards the door, and said: "Until we meet again, Yukihira Sōma."

}i{

The students for Inui's group boarded the bus. Takumi was sitting right next to Sōma. The blond was looking as nervous, and utterly embarrassed, as hell. With a cocky smirk, Sōma said "Well, well, it looks like we "Meet Again". Shall we have that Shokugeki now so you can "Stomp Me Flat"?"

Covering his face in pure embarrassment, Takumi said pretty loudly "Shut Up! Don't Talk to Me!" Isami was cackling at the blind redhead and his older twin's antics.

When Takumi finally calmed down, he thought back to the dish he and Sōma made during their assignment. 'That assignment made me use every skill I had to the fullest. When I hit on the idea of using duck, I thought I'd won. But he somehow managed to match me. Damn it! The challenge ended in a draw, so why do I feel like I've lost?' the blond thought to himself as he placed his elbows on his knees and rested his chin on his folded hands.

"I'm glad I met the two of you," Sōma said suddenly, getting Takumi and Isami's attention.

"How so?" the younger Aldini twin asked curiously.

That was when Sōma said calmly "Meeting people from other countries, each with their own type of food culture… Just like my dad did has done in the past and is still doing at the moment… And it's also nice to know that there are more people at Totsuki who are willing to look past the "Disabilities" of others." Takumi immediately thought back to the two jerks that bad mouthed the blind redhead. For some reason, the blond had a strong feeling that Sōma had experienced this kind of thing far too many times to count, even before Totsuki.

"Only people with low intelligence and are completely ignorant would condemn someone who has done nothing or is different from them," Takumi stated softly. Megumi could tell that the half-Italian twins were good people, so she said to them that if they wanted they could visit the Polaris Dorm whenever they wanted (so long as it wasn't during class or important school events, and if they passed Daimidō Fumio's test). The Aldini twins smiled and said that they will.

The bus continued on its merry way.

~}i{~

Sōma and Megumi met up with Ryoko, Ibusaki, Yuki, and a semi-dead Marui in front of the main Totsuki hotel. The maroon coloured haired teen hung up his cell phone and told his dorm mates "It's confirmed. Everyone from the Polaris survived day one." The members of the Polaris Dorm cheered with joy, Marui gave everyone a very weak thumbs-up.

Ryoko and Megumi were talking about how exhausted they were because of their respective assignment.

Yuki then happily said "What are you talking about? Tired?! Now is when the fun _Really_ starts, ladies!" The Polaris Dorm members stared at the orangette as if she was speaking a different language, or in Sōma's case, listening to all of Yuki's strange words. Yuki then explained with utter joy "Dinner and a bath, and then our own guest rooms! I'm sure each and every one will be luxurious, gorgeous, and utterly decadent! I intend to enjoy every last second of them!"

Ah, so that's why she's super happy.

}i{

When the Polaris group walked into the hotel, they were greeted by hordes of muscled men and Sekimori Hitoshi.

"Once you finished preparing dinner for these gentlemen, your time is your own," Sekimori told the group. Yuki practically shouted who all of the muscled men were. The Totsuki graduate stated that they were members of a college bodybuilding club, amefuto club, and professional wrestling club. He also stated that each of the students will prepare _Fifty (50)_ servings of a Steak Dinner for all of the muscled men.

While the majority of the students were freaking out just by that number, Yuki asked "Question, Sir! What about _our_ dinners?"

Sekimori simply stated, "Once you've finished fifty servings, you're responsible for making your own dinner."

The orangette freaked a bit and asked "Making our own?! But what about the decadent hotel dinner?!"

The Totsuki graduate stated in an unemotional voice "There will be none of that. Also, please be aware that each student will be responsible for their own breakfast and dinners, not just today, but every day of camp."

Yuki's heart just shattered to a million itsy-bitsy, little pieces at that very moment.

Sekimori then looked at a pocket watch and said "One last thing. Any student who hasn't finished all fifty servings inside the next hour will be Expelled on the spot. Now, does anyone else have any questions pertaining to this assignment?"

Sōma raised his hand and asked "I have one question. Are the cooking stations in all of the Totsuki Hotels laid out in the exact same way?"

Sekimori looked at the redhead and said "Ah, you must be Yukihira-san. Dōjima-senpai already told all of us examiners about your 'condition'. You don't have to worry; every single kitchen you will be in during this camp is laid out the exact same way. However, be advised that we do expect you to complete each and every task without any leniency from _Any_ of the examiners, the only help you are allowed to receive are the two Assisted Help hotel employees, understood?"

Sōma nodded at that and said "Understood Senpai. But just so you know, I wouldn't have accepted any leniencies anyway. This wouldn't be a training camp if there were." Sekimori couldn't help smile a small smile before telling all the students to get to their stations.

"Begin!"

That was when the next stage of hell started.

}i{ Ten Minutes Later }i{

Shinomiya Kojirō was walking through the hallway of the hotel. He had a lot of free time now, due to the fact that he failed the entire group that was assigned to him. After all, they weren't able to follow his orders to the letter. Shinomiya stopped right outside the hall where Sekimori was using to test his group. 'Isn't that blind kid in that group?' the wine red-haired man thought as he glanced into the kitchen. His mind flashed back to when he met with the blind redhead. The glasses wearing graduate couldn't help but wonder 'Why is he even in Totsuki in the first place when he has such a major disability?' So the French chef walked into the kitchen to see the group completely. From what Shinomiya could tell, it was a battlefield in the kitchen. The muscled men who did get the steak dinners were happily wolfing it down, while the majority of the students were bickering with one another about not having time to argue because they needed to finish before the deadline.

"This, that, and that. The portions are too small. Do it again," Sekimori stated pointed out to one of the students, who was checking in before the food was given to the muscled men. Shinomiya easily figured out that the group was doing the Fifty Servings in One Hour test, and so far, he wasn't all that impressed. After all, the majority of the group were really caving-in to the pressure.

"Shinomiya-sama? What are you doing here?" Nabu asked the wine redhead when he saw him.

This got Sekimori's attention immediately and asked: "Don't you have a group of your own to test?"

The French chef shrugged and said in his cocky tone "They were all incompetent jokes. They couldn't even follow orders. So they weren't worthy of staying in Totsuki."

The sushi chef had his doubts about that, but asked coolly "And you're here, because?"

Another student checked in, he had a completely terrified by the pure fact that there were two Totsuki graduates standing before him. Sekimori looked at the dish and said "The soup portion's too small. Start again." The student paled and grumbled something along the lines of him still having 40 servings left and that he was going to fail the assignment. "Well, Shinomiya-kun?" the sushi chef asked folding his arms, waiting for an answer.

The French chef shrugged his shoulders and said in a casual manner "What? Can't I see how my fellow examiners and former schoolmates are doing?" Sekimori wasn't buying that.

"Checking in~" Sōma said as Aki lead him to the sushi chef, not realizing that the French chef was there.

After looking over the dish, Sekimori then stated, "Yukihira Sōma, Fifty Servings Completed."

The blind student unwrapped his bandanna and said, "Happy to serve." The students in the group couldn't help but think that the blind redhead was too quick. The Polaris Dorm students were happy that their friend passed, while Takumi shouted that he fell behind this time but he would catch up soon, Isami told his older twin that he needed to focus on his own task. But the rest of the students thought that the blind redhead was taking advantage of the Assisted Help.

Shinomiya just stared at Sōma as Aki and Nabu told him that they'll see him tomorrow for the next assignment. The blind redhead waved goodbye to the two Assisted Help staff and his dorm mates.

"Man, I was barely able to keep up with that kid," Aki said, after taking a nice deep breath when Sōma was gone.

"I saw. He's doing pretty well, he hardly needs our help," Nabu said with a chuckle as he folded his arms.

A glare of lightly glazed over the French chef's glasses as he watched the Assisted Help duo talked and walked out of the kitchen. "You still haven't answered my question, Kojirō," Sekimori stated as he refolded his arms. Shinomiya knew his former classmate was serious now.

~}i{~

As he walked down a hallway, Sōma held his cane in his left hand while he felt the wall with his right hand. His hand gliding across the wall at about shoulder level, so he can feel for the plaques that the hotel used for showing the guests where certain areas were. 'Well, being early is all well and good, but that means I've got nothing to do right now… I wonder if there is anything to listen to on TV?' Sōma thought as he continued down the corridor. Then, Sōma's hand felt a relatively large plaque. Curiously, the blind redhead's fingers danced across the raised dots on the lower portion of the plaque (That would be the Braille (2)). 'Grand Hot Springs…' Sōma read before thinking for a second. 'Ah! Perfect, I could use a relaxing soak in the Hot Springs. And with everyone downstairs, I get the whole placed myself,' the blind redhead thought as he felt the plaque for the direction of the Hot Springs. After he did, he went on his way.

}i{

When Hisako finished up with her 50 servings, her and Erina heading off towards the Hot Springs for their own, well deserved soak in the wonders waters.

"I apologize for making you wait, Erina-sama. I misjudged how long it would take me to complete the assignment," Hisako said to the honey blond, who replied "It's fine Hisako, as long as you completed the task," as she flipped her hair and added, "Besides, we'll still have the Hot Springs to ourselves."

The pinkette happily nodded in agreement. As the two walked up to the Hot Springs, they managed to spot a very familiar redhead walking into the men's section of the Hot Springs. Erina froze when she saw him, but it seemed as though he didn't hear the two girls before he entered the Hot Springs.

Hisako knew how the honey blond felt about that boy when she said "Erina-sama, just ignore him, he'll eventually fail before the summer. In fact, he could actually fail here at this camp tomorrow."

The honey blond huffed and stated, "He'd better because there was no way _I_ would ever work and a second-rate comment eatery."

"If you really didn't want to work at Yukihira's, then you and those six others Seats shouldn't have made the bet with the Headmaster in the first place, Princess," Sōma said, poking his head out from beneath the flaps that led to the men's section of the Hot Springs. Apparently, he heard what was said.

Enraged, Erina shouted at the redhead "HOW DARE YOU EAVESDROP ON US!"

Sōma sighed and said calmly "It's not considered eavesdropping when people are talking loudly. Also, you really need to calm down a bit, all that shouting isn't good, ya know."

With really red cheeks, Erina huffed out "Hisako! Forget the Hot Springs! We're going back to the room!" Before storming off with the pinkette quickly trying to keep up with the honey blond.

"Honestly Princess, are you really that bitter about losing the bet with the Headmaster that you won't even soak in the Hot Springs if I'm there or are you bitter that I actually won the Shokugeki?" Sōma asked the Nariki as she continued to storm off. When the blind redhead could no longer hear the stomping, he muttered an "Apparently she's bitter about both," before he went back to the Hot Springs.

}i{ About Five Minutes Later }i{

Takumi burst into the Hot Spring, shouting "YUKIHIRA! THERE YOU ARE! I MAY HAVE BEEN SLOWER THIS TIME BUT-" that was when the blond noticed that Sōma was sitting in the Hot Springs with the Totsuki Resort Head Chef and Company Director, Dōjima Gin.

"Hm? Looks like I've overstayed my time. I should get going."

"Okay, and thanks for the advice," Sōma said happily as the naked, muscled man walked out of the Hot Springs, leaving Takumi still in a state of shock.

When Takumi came to his senses, he shouted at Sōma "Y-Y-YUKIHIRA! Do you have any idea who that is?!"

"Yeah, Dōjima-senpai, why?" was the only thing the blind redhead asked as if it was nothing important.

"Gah! Then how could you be so casual with him like he's some normal guy?" the blond asked as Sōma leaned back in the Hot Spring.

During this, Dōjima couldn't help but smile.

~}i{~ Day 2, 9:00 in the Morning ~}i{~

Sōma and Megumi were now in Shinomiya Kojirō group for his assignment. The two could hear the other students talking about how he expelled the entire group from yesterday's assignment. The Totsuki student of the 79th graduating class was going over the recipe he wanted the group to make, a Nine-Vegetable Terrine, and explained that this was a solo assignment. Another thing that the chef stated was that they couldn't aid or advising others during the preparation was forbidden. The country girl was about to say something to Sōma but realized that he wasn't there.

"OI! You by the vegetables!" The French chef suddenly shouted, scaring practically all of the students of the group. That was when Megumi saw that Sōma was standing by the vegetables, more specifically, the table with a pile of cauliflower. Shinomiya stomped towards the blind redhead, stating in an angry tone "I haven't told you to start, and there's no way in hell I'm letting Anyone get a head start."

Without turning to the French chef or moving from his spot, Sōma asked: "Who picked out the vegetables?"

Shinomiya raised a brow and asked, "Why would you want to know?"

"Some of the cauliflowers are already oxidized and are starting to rot," Sōma stated plainly.

Shinomiya raised an eyebrow, wondering how on earth this blind teen could even tell if any of the vegetables were even fresh or not and asked, "What makes you think that?"

Sōma easily found and picked up a browning cauliflower, much to the onlooker's confusion and amazement, and stated "The smell obviously. You can easily smell the decomposing cauliflowers over the fresh cauliflowers, something that's pretty hard to miss. So the question here is, how could someone miss such an obvious smell?" That was when the blind redhead turned towards Shinomiya, tossed the browning cauliflower at the French Chef (who caught the vegetable easily), and stated: "Or maybe, those oxidized cauliflowers were put in the batch on purpose."

"What are you implying?" Shinomiya asked in a calm yet suspicious tone.

Sōma simply stated in a calm tone "Depends on whether an employee knew and did this on purpose or if you were the one who picked these vegetables."

This made the French Chef pretty mad when he snapped "Are you questioning MY authority as the Head Chef?!"

The blind redhead tapped his cane with an index finger and said "I suppose I am but isn't it the job of the Head Chef to make sure that every single ingredient that comes into their restaurant is in the condition that is needed to cook a particular dish? AND it's the Head Chef's job to listen to their employees when they note that something is wrong or if they could find a way to do something better." Sōma then gazed at Shinomiya with his unseeing eyes and asked in a more serious tone "Or has the first Japanese to earn the Pluspol Award lost any interest in listening to anyone but himself? That doesn't seem like that's going to get you another prodigious award."

This ticked Shinomiya off pretty bad. Megumi ran towards Sōma, trying to stop him from getting expelled.

~}i{~ Earlier that Very Morning, at 6:55 in the Morning ~}i{~

Sōma was doing some morning stretching in his PJs, to get him to wake up fully when he heard a knock on the door to his room. Wondering who that could be in this early in the morning (Since there was at least an hour before they needed to get to the auditorium for their assigned groups), the blind redhead grabbed his cane and walked towards the door.

"Who is it?" Sōma asked when he got to the door.

The blind redhead heard the person behind the door say "Room Service."

Sōma sighed when he heard and recognized the voice when he opened the door. "What are you doing here?" the blind redhead asked the person he seems to already know as sed person walked into the room.

"I have a huge favor to ask you, Sōma," the man stated plainly as he sat in a nearby chair as the teen closed the door.

"What kind of favor? And why now? Totsuki's in the middle of 1st-year testing." Sōma asked as he sat on the bed.

"Let me clarify," the man stated before adding "I need you to help save Shinomiya-kun from himself."

"I doubt that guy would want help from a 1st-year student of Totsuki, much less a blind one," Sōma stated plainly.

The man chuckled and said, "That sounds about right, but he needs the help and I know he's going to refuse to listen to me."

"Gee, I wonder why," Sōma stated in a sarcastic matter before asking "But why ask me?"

"Because," the man said, before taking a deep breath and added "I believe you can help me get Shinomiya-kun out of his stagnate. He's basically set up his exams in a way that would fail a majority of students because of this stagnate, and it's affecting his personal life too. And I'm asking you because you're going to be in his group today."

Sōma raised a brow and asked, "Do you have a plan in mind?"

The man smiled and stated, "Get him to challenge you to a Shokugeki."

"Any more details to that plan?" the blind redhead asked curiously.

Before the man could answer, his phone rang. After looking at the caller id, the man answered the phone. "I'm here, Hiromi," the man said over the phone.

Sōma could hear the person on the other end of the phone say "Gin, you need to get to Auditorium C in 15 minutes, finish whatever you're doing now and get there."

"Alright," Dōjima Gin said before hanging up.

"I'll give you the whole plan now, just make sure you get him Shinomiya-kun a Shokugeki," Dōjima told Sōma in a serious tone.

~}i{~ Present Time ~}i{~

Sōma could feel Shinomiya glaring at him when he thought 'Time to put your plan into action, Ojisan.'

~}i{~

To be Continued…

~}i{~

1) Nii-chan does mean big brother, but it's mainly used as a (cute) familiar address, meaning it's only used when someone knows an older (by a few years) guys. In Isami's case, he is actually addressing his older twin brother with this term, but (from what I've noticed in the anime and in the manga) he uses 'Nii-chan' to somewhat tease Takumi about his childish behavior while at the same time showing respect to him.

2) Braille is a form of written language for blind people, in which characters are represented by patterns of raised dots that are felt with the fingertips.

~}i{~

 _Gale-Dragon_ : Oh my, things are getting interesting.


	6. 6: Hell Camp pt 2

_**Gale-Dragon**_ : Finally done with this chapter. Enjoy.

~}i{~

"Talking"

'Thinking'

(Author making comments)

~}i{~

Shokugeki no Sōma Nashi Saito de Chīfu. Chapter 6; Hell Camp pt 2

~}i{~

Megumi couldn't understand what had happened…

One moment she was in one of the kitchens trying to prevent Sōma from getting in trouble with Shinomiya Kojirō and the next thing she knew she was in an office with Dōjima Gin, the French chef, Sōma, and Chef Inui. All because Sōma decided to antagonize Shinomiya with a Shokugeki. Poor Megumi was crying over how she even got dragged into this mess.

"While I do admit, the examiners are allowed to make whatever test they want," Dōjima said looking at the glasses wearing graduate, then stated while glancing at the blind redhead "But Yukihira-kun does make a valid point about you 'Sabotaging' the students from the groups that are assigned to you, Shinomiya-kun, and I know you are well aware of Totsuki's policy about Sabotaging."

The glasses wearing graduate huffed at that and stated: "Not my fault they can't follow simple orders."

"I wonder about that," Sōma said out loud, knowing full well that the French chef could hear. The blind redhead heard the graduate growl.

"Now, now, don't fight," Dōjima said getting between the two.

Inui then added "But in all technicality, how do we solve this problem? We're literally in the middle of the training camp."

Sōma smirked at that and said, "This is a Totsuki event with Totsuki students, past and present; therefore this place can be counted as a Totsuki campus, right?" Megumi REALLY wasn't liking where this conversation was heading.

"What are you getting at?" Dōjima asked with a raised brow, but thought to himself 'You are enjoying this a little too much, my little godchild.'

With a smirk still on his face, Sōma stated "A Shokugeki!"

Poor Megumi fainted (momentarily) on the spot.

"Me? A Shokugeki with a first-year student? You have got to be having a laugh (1)," Shinomiya snipped with a smirk before saying "It wouldn't be much of a challenge."

"You sure you're actually a Totsuki graduate?" Sōma asked in a bit of a mocking tone before adding "No 'True Totsuki Student' would deny any type of cooking challenge, no matter how easy it may seem to be. That's how they become the best after all. But it seems like this so-called graduate of Totsuki doesn't seem to be all that he's cracked up to be, especially after you got that medal."

'I was right; you ARE enjoying this way too much.' Dōjima thought with a worried hidden smile.

Shinomiya glared at Sōma and snapped "You have no idea just how much effort and work it took me to get that medal?!"

Sōma sneered and stated, "Oh, I have a pretty good idea, but I think you just stopped trying after that."

"Alright! That's enough, you two!" Dōjima stated, getting between the two before some kind of physical altercation could happen. 'Okay, Sōma, that's enough. Now let me take over,' the Totsuki hotel chain head thought before saying "I do admit, a full out Shokugeki is a good idea and it IS how arguments are decided at Totsuki. But this Shokugeki will have to be unofficial and be done in secret since Chapelle-sensei will have a fit if he finds out."

That part everyone agreed on. But...

"I still don't see why I have to duel seriously with a first-year student," Shinomiya stated arrogantly, before adding "Especially a Blind one."

"H-h-hold on just a second!" Megumi said out loud, nearly shouting. This got everyone's attention immediately; after all, it was a bit unusual for the timid girl to be this loud. Megumi had a serious look on her face when she said sternly "How can you say something like that?! Sōma has more than proved himself while at Totsuki! Despite the fact that he's blind! He won the approval of the Polaris Dorm Mother through her test with just leftovers in the kitchen and on his first try! He won his first Shokugeki despite the odds or opinions of others! He's able to adapt to any situation and use whatever is available, just ask Chef Inui! And he uses his creativity to create his own unique dishes! Who cares if Sōma is blind, he's more of a chef than any of the other first-year students in Totsuki! And if you can't see past the simple fact that he is disabled... Then, then, *Shouts* THEN YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S COMPLETELY BLIND!"

Everyone in the room froze in pure shock, jaws were dropped. Who could blame them, Megumi was normally a quiet, timid person who didn't really raise her voice.

"Megumi-chan..." Was all Sōma could say.

Dōjima was the first to finally speak up, "My that was... Quite the speech, young lady." Megumi blinked in confusion, before turning red with embarrassment when she realized what she had said and how she said it.

Shinomiya recovered his composer and stated, "I doubt a dunce like you could ever understand the requirements needed at Totsuki."

"Says the one who can't take any sort of criticism," Sōma snipped, not really liking how the French chef was acting.

Dōjima immediately stopped Shinomiya from attacking and suggested that they start the unofficial Shokugeki after the day was done.

~}i{~

At 18:00 (6 pm) in the Totsuki Villa Lobby.

The Polaris Dorm members have been looking around for a good while, looking for Sōma and Megumi to no avail.

This made them worry.

~}i{~

Dōjima led Sōma, Megumi, and Shinomiya to a basement of the Totsuki Villa Side Wing. Since the area isn't being used for the Camp, there won't be any interruptions. When they got there, Megumi gasped at the people who were already here. Chef Mizuhara Fuyumi, Chef Sekimori Hitoshi, Chef Gotoda Donato, and a tied up Chef Inui Hinako with a sign around her neck that read "Just an Observer".

Megumi got nervous and stuttered out "Wh-Why are all the Graduates here?"

"Graduates? All of them? Really" Sōma asked with a raised brow, adding to the country girl's question.

Dōjima gave a small smirk and stated: "I requested that they judge for us, as Hinako's opinion might be a bit biased." Chef Inui gave a look that stated that she did not want to be bound to the chair.

Chef Gotoda smiled softly and said "Not only is this an unofficial Shokugeki, it's in the middle of camp between a student and an alumnus. What would Chapelle-sensei say if he found out?"

Chef Sekimori folded his arms and stated plainly "Oh, he would blister our ears, no doubt."

Chef Mizuhara, sitting rather oddly in her chair (ok, more like squatting in the chair, with her knees to her chin), then said in a rather emotionless tone "If he does find out, I'm running away. And blaming it all on Shinomiya." The chef in question then shouted at his former classmate that he heard that. Chef Mizuhara then said "But the reason I'm even here is that I want to see this much talked about "Blind Chef of Totsuki"."

Sōma raised a brow and asked "Much talked about? Me? Am I really that famous in Totsuki?" All of the Totsuki graduates gave each other a look. Did the blind student really not know how well-known he is Outside of Totsuki?

Dōjima got everyone's attention by saying "Now then… Let us begin the unofficial match. The available ingredients are leftovers from today's assignments. The theme will be any dish you can make from them."

"I already got my theme," Sōma stated with a smile/smirk.

Shinomiya raised a brow and asked, "You don't even know what ingredients are here, so how do you already have a theme?" Dōjima and the other Totsuki graduates also stared at the blind student with a curious look on their faces.

Sōma then stated with that smile/smirk on his face "Because I'll use whatever recipe Megumi-chan comes up with, I know she can think of something with the ingredients here."

It took a few seconds to register, but when it did, Megumi shouted in utter confusion "EEEEEEEHHHHHH?!"

"Yukihira-kun, are you sure that is what you want to do?" Dōjima asked with a sweatdrop on his head while he thought 'You are a little too much like your father.'

Sōma nodded and said with a smile "Yup, I'm sure. Megumi-chan is an amazing cook and can create amazing dishes, despite what some people say. I know for sure that she'll come up with something delicious."

Poor Megumi was quivering in the nearest corner, writing the Kanji character for Man on her palm, it was her nervous habit. 'Wh-what the heck is he thinking?!' Megumi thought as she continued her calming down technique.

The Alumni didn't really know what to think at the moment.

~}i{~

"YUKIHIRA DID WHAT?!" Takumi shouted from the outside of a kitchen that was currently being used by the remaining students of his group, they could easily hear him through the closed door. Isami held out his hands to calm down his older twin brother and said: "Nii-chan, I only heard this second hand, so I don't even know if it is even true." Takami clenched his fist and thought 'What are you thinking Yukihira?'

~}i{~

Sōma's hands traced the outlines of the kitchen counters, memorizing it since it had a slightly different layout from the kitchens he's been working in during this camp. Megumi, on the other hand, was looking at all of the ingredients, trying to figure out what recipe to use for this unofficial Shokugeki. Swirls appeared in the country girl's eyes when she thought 'How did I get myself into this mess?' That was when she noticed what some of the leftover ingredients were.

Shinomiya was already cooking his dish. He wasn't all that worried about what his opponent was going to make, he was confident in his dish. The French Chef quietly cast a glance at the blind redhead. Sōma's hands were still tracing the surface of the countertops, then those fingers touched the edge of the stove. Shinomiya continued to watch the redhead as he thought 'Why does he want to cook, even though he is completely blind?'

"He's interesting to watch, huh?" Inui asked, no longer tied up, leaning an arm on the French Chef's shoulder.

An anger mark appeared on Shinomiya's forehead before he shouted: "HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET LOOSE?!"

As Shinomiya was tieing Inui back onto a chair, Megumi rushed over to Sōma's side and quietly told him her idea for the ingredients.

"That's a great idea!" Sōma said with a smile on his face.

"Really? You think so?" Megumi asked in a surprised tone, before adding "But, ano... The requires a lot of prep work on the ingredients, and I-I don't know it'll work out in the end..."

Sōma smirked, stated with that smile still on his face "Between the two of us, we'll make the dish come to life. All we need to do is take the first step," unwrapped his signature bandana from his left wrist and tied it around his forehead. For some strange reason, Megumi felt that the blind student was right, but she did have some doubts about him making This dish on the first try. "Let's get those ingredients and start cooking," Sōma said with a smile on his face. Megumi nodded at that before she and the blind student went to work.

(I'm going to skim over the cooking process in this part mostly due to not wanting to copy it and partly due to wanting to focus on the storyline)

The Totsuki watched the two students cook in awe when Chef Mizuhara asked "Is he really blind? He doesn't move like he's blind."

Chef Sekimori looked at Sōma's student file (that he had on hand for some reason) and said "Yukihira Sōma... Transferred in as a freshman? How unusual."

Chef Gotoda quickly asked "Does it say when he went blind? Or if he was born blind?"

The sushi chef looked over the entire file before he said "All it says is that he's blind, doesn't say how long. Hm? Says here he's been working at the restaurant his family owns... His father's the head chef..."

"Still," Chef Mizuhara mumbled out before saying "I mean, could he really have gotten all that cooking skills just by helping out at home?"

Chef Gotoda nodded and said "I agree. No matter how you look at it... Forget the fact that he's blind, his skills far surpass that of an average Totsuki student."

Dōjima quietly smirked at those comments, who could blame him, they were praising his godson. Shinomiya, on the other hand, simply sat in a chair at his side of the kitchen, waiting for an ingredient to cook, as he eyed the blind redhead tasted a piece of a cherry tomato he'd just cut in half.

~}i{~

When the two sides were finished cooking, it was time for the judges to taste the dishes.

Chef Mizuhara, Chef Sekimori, and Chef Gotoda sat behind a table, ready to judge as Chef Inui remained tied to a chair, again. Dōjima placed his left hand on the same table his fellow alumni sat at and said: "We will start by tasting Shinomiya-kun's dish." The French chef served each of the judges a plate of what he made.

As she was trying to untie herself, Chef Inui huffed out "Oi! Where's my portion?"

Shinomiya stated in a blunt tone "You don't get one. Share with Mizuhara-kun if you want some."

The Empress of the Mist whined like a very disappointed toddler at that comment. Megumi watched in anticipation as she thought 'A dish made by a Totsuki Institute Grad... I wonder what he made.'

Shinomiya's dish was a Chou Farci.

Chou Farci is a family recipe common in the Auvergne region of France. It's made of diced meats and vegetables wrapped in cabbage leaves and then steamed. Pretty similar to "Stuffed Cabbage". Also, Chou is the French word for Cabbage.

Chef Gotoda placed his first knuckle of his right index to his chin and said: "Well, this is certainly an unexpected choice. You're not using your Specialty."

The other judges were in agreement on that. Shinomiya snickered and stated, "There's no need for me to use it for this match."

'So, Ojisan was right. He really has become stagnate enough for him to avoid his own Specialty. I'm pretty the other grads would've noticed the stagnate if they ate his Specialty,' Sōma thought as he sniffed the air, to figure out what the French chef had just served. So far, the only thing the blind redhead could smell right away was the faint scent of herbs. 'What French dishes use herbs?' Sōma thought before he suddenly smelt the scent of sweet cabbage, chicken, the slight smell of asparagus, and a smidge of a scent from some type of mushroom (Sōma knows what mushrooms smell like and each has a slightly different smell to them, but he doesn't know what all of them smell like). 'Hm? Wait a minute...' the blind student thought, quickly realizing that the scent of the dish felt a little too warm. Sōma's right hand left its place on top of the cane to move towards his face. Fingers suddenly tapped something sold. Sōma tapped the bottom the object just below his face with his nails, it sounded a bit like ceramic.

"You know, that is considered pretty rude," Sōma stated plainly, not really amused by this little stunt. Shinomiya smirked, not really moving the plate he was holding under Sōma's nose.

"Just wondering how long it takes for you to notice it," the French chef sneered out.

Sōma then stated in an obviously sarcastic tone "Oh wow, a blind person joke that I have never heard before. Gee, you must be oh so smart to come up with that." Chef Sekimori was the one to say "Kojirō, that was completely unnecessary!"

Chef Mizuhara then said in a bored tone "Yeah, and it makes you sound like a total dush bag."

With a small anger mark on his forehead, Shinomiya stated: "I was simply giving Yukihira-kun his portion." Sōma took the plate from the glasses-wearing man and placed it on a nearby table.

Chef Inui then huffed out in practically a childish tone "Oi! How come he gets a portion and I don't?"

The anger mark grew bigger on the French chef's forehead when he snapped "YOU are just an OBSERVER."

The judges took a bite of the Chou Farci. The savory flavors of the dish and the sweet taste of the cabbage was spine tingling. It tasted like you were in a super peppy magical girl show that was themed around cabbage. (At least that's what I thought about the image on that specific page of the Manga and the scene from the Anime).

"It tasted weird," Sōma said, still chewing on the piece of his Chou Farci.

Shinomiya quickly turned to the blind teen to snap at him, but Dōjima quickly interjected by saying "Oh? What do you mean by that, Yukihira-kun?"

"Oh, the texture of everything wrapped inside this cabbage taste like they've been steamed together, but I can still feel a mousse-like texture from something dairy that has been pureed, and there's the savory chicken taste that's mixed with asparagus, mushrooms, and some kind of liver that's been sauteed in beef grease."

Dōjima raised a brow, impressed that the teen could tell all that from just one bite, and said, "Sounds to me like you like the Chou Farci."

"Chou Farci? Is that what this dish is called?" Sōma asked curiously before the hotel head asked: "Yes. If you like it, why did you say the taste was weird?"

That was when Sōma explained, "Oh I wasn't talking about this dish, it actually pretty good. I was talking about a dish with a similar texture I had about a year ago. That dish had a weird taste, and I didn't really get the name of it."

Shinomiya adjusted his glasses and asked in a rather surprised tone "You've actually eaten something similar to a Chou Farci?"

Sōma waved a hand and said, "I wouldn't really call it completely similar since that dish wasn't wrapped in cabbage, it was wrapped in something with rye or pumpernickel flour, and the meat inside was sheep, not chicken. It was the combination of textures of the Chou Farci that reminded me of that dish and made me realize that perhaps the taste of some of the ingredients in that dish complemented each other weirdly."

"Hm, that explains the comment," Chef Mizuhara said before adding in a bored tone "And here I thought you were trying to picture how ugly Shinomiya was while you were eating his food."

"That was really uncalled for," the French chef snipped at the Italian chef, trying to keep his anger in check.

Megumi said in a curious tone "Ano, I guess that weird dish wasn't that good."

"Well, it was kinda 50/50," Sōma said before explaining "The dish did taste really weird, but the texture was pretty good, like this Chou Farci. Then again, Andoryū (2) was only focused on the texture. Taste never really mattered to him."

"Eh? What do you mean by that? The flavor of the food is what people like," the country girl asked as she wondered how anyone could not care about the taste of food.

Shinomiya gave an audible cough, getting everyone's attention.

"As interesting as this conversation is, I do have to remind everyone that there's an ongoing Shokugeki that needs to be finished," Shinomiya stated in a dead pin tone.

"Oh, right. Sorry," Sōma said in a chipper tone that made it seem like he wasn't in the middle of something important. Dōjima chuckled and asked the students to present their dish.

Megumi handed Sōma two plates, he managed to balanced one plate on his arm as he held a plate on that same side, while she held two plates, one for each of her hands. The country girl told the blind student to place his free hand on her shoulder and she'll lead him to the judges. Sōma nodded as he placed his free hand on one of Megumi's forearms, then he gently moved his hand up her arm until he got to her shoulder. The country girl then started walking slowly towards the judges, Sōma was making sure he moved fast enough to keep up while making sure he walked carefully so he wouldn't accidentally step on her heels. Shinomiya just watched this.

The Totsuki students placed the dishes on the table being used by the judges. Megumi arranged the plates so they were in front of the judges.

Chef Gotoda blinked when he saw the dish and said "A Terrine?" The terrine sparkled seven different colours.

"But isn't that the dish Shinomiya was using in his test?" Chef Inui asked in surprised, somehow getting out of the rope again.

"It was Megumi-chan's idea," Sōma said happily.

Megumi then said with a soft pink hue on her cheeks "Ano, when I saw all those vegetables on the ingredient table, so I decided to use seven different vegetables to make a Rainbow Terrine."

Chef Sekimori looked at the terrine and said "Hm, seven different types of Pâté (3) arranged in stripes to look like a rainbow... Tadokoro-kun, did you arrange them?"

Megumi nodded and said, "I did, but only because Sōma-kun asked me too."

The blind redhead smiled and said, "Like I said before, I trust Megumi-chan to come up with a good recipe, so of course, I asked her to make it look nice."

Shinomiya snickered and stated to the country girl "You made the blind chef make a Rainbow Terrine? My, you really are a dunce."

"Seems like I'm not the blind one here," Sōma stated to the peeved French chef, handing the plate in his hand to Dōjima, before telling the judges "Take a bite and you'll see the "Real Rainbow" of the dish."

"Well then, let us have a taste," Chef Gotoda said, picking up his fork and knife. The Sushi and the Italian chef did the same.

Megumi clenched her eyes shut, practically expecting the alumni to reject her recipe, like all of the teachers at Totsuki, did when she made something. Sōma could practically hear the country girl trembling next to him. The blind student placed his free hand on her shoulder, and gave her a soothing rub and instilling some confidence in her.

"This is delicious!" the three alumni judges said at the same time.

This actually surprised Megumi.

Chef Sekimori "The seven Pâtés that you made were from different vegetables, I can taste carrots, potatoes, and zucchini. That's why you were able to make them different colours. You also cooked each of the Pâté in a way to maximize the deliciousness of each individual vegetable. I'm impressed the two of you were able to complete all that work in so little time." Chef Gotoda then noted the two different sauces, one was a sweet and tangy Sudachi Gelée and the other was a refreshing Shisho Pesto. The blond chef then said that combining the European terrine with distinctive Japanese flavors was a fresh idea. You could practically see the super sparkly backdrop behind the happy Chef Inui, who took a bit of Chef Mizuhara's portion. The Italian chef than said, while still chewing on the terrine, "The tangy sudachi sauce goes well with the mildly sweet tomatoes."

Chef Gotoda took another bite of the Rainbow Terrine and said "Seven different pâtés with two different sauces mean there are fourteen flavors to enjoy. That's quite an enjoyable experience figuring out all these wonderous tastes." Chef Sekimori then commented "So this is the "Real Rainbow" you mentioned earlier, Yukihira-kun."

Sōma smirked and said "Yup, and the texture of each pâté complements each other pretty well." Dōjima took a bite of Chef Sekimori portion and noticed the dried cherry tomatoes in one of the pâtés. Sōma stated that those were also Megumi's idea.

Megumi explained that back in her hometown, Winter can be really long, so in the Summer her village harvests a lot of vegetables and preserve them so they can have them during Winter. The country girl also added that her village mostly sundried the vegetables that they decide to save for Winter. Megumi then said "When I started helping out at tha inn, Ma-, err, my mother taught me how to dry them in an oven. You basically cut cherry tomatoes in half, sprinkle them with rock salt, and then slowly dry them at a low temperature, around 118 degrees Celsius (244.4 degrees Fahrenheit). That makes them really sweet and tasty." She looked up at Dōjima and added: "I, ano, thought they'd make a nice accent for the terrine..." The hotel head did state that tomatoes were rich in Amino Acid Glutamate (4), which of course was the main the tomato's Umami (5), and that drying them would greatly concentrate the glutamate and thus increasing the amount of sweetness that hits the tongue.

A glare of light hit Shinomiya's glasses when he asked threateningly "Are you making fun of me dunce? Since MY Nine-Vegetable Terrine focuses on Fresh vegetables, while your's seem to focus on vegetables that have been aged and preserved."

Megumi got flustered when she replied "N-N-No! I wa-wa-wasn't t-t-trying to! I just! I just th-thought a terrine was the best way to bring out all the flavors of the vegetables here!"

The three Judges and Chef Inui took another bite of the Rainbow Terrine. The way Chef Gotoda felt that the dish represented that both Megumi and Sōma were like modest spirits that gift the bounty of nature, two vegetable Colobockle (6). Chef Inui disagreed with that statement and said that they were like twin Vegetable Zashiki Warashi (7). But Chef Sekimori said that they were like vegetable Yukimkos (8), spirits that deliver the bounty of vegetables from the snowy north.

Chef Mizuhara couldn't help but ask "How come all of you are picking spirits from Japanese folklore anyway?" The other alumni didn't seem to be listening to the question.

Megumi couldn't believe her ears. These famous chefs, that she read about and looked up to, are eating a dish that she helped she created! Her, the literal "bottom of the barrel" of Totsuki, was being praised for one of her recipes! Megumi just couldn't believe it! She just couldn't!

"I told you that you were an amazing chef," Sōma told Megumi with a big smile, before saying "You just need to believe in yourself and focus on your cooking." Megumi couldn't help but blush when she heard that, and for some reason, her heart beat just a little bit faster.

Shinomiya just stared at his fellow alumni, trying to figure out why they thought a dish made by a blind student and a dunce was delicious. It just didn't make sense to him. Almost as if he was reading the French Chef's mind, Dōjima held his plat of Rainbow Terrine to him and asked "Why don't you take a bite and find out for yourself. I'm sure you'll learn why it tastes so good and maybe you'll find what you're missing in your own cooking."

Shinomiya scowled and snapped "What the hell makes you think that MY cooking is missing anything?!"

With a smirk on his face, Dōjima asked "Are you sure? Or perhaps, that's the reason why you're not cooking your Specialty?"

The French chef scoffed and said, "I told you, I don't have to use my Specialty for this match!"

"You're saying that you Won't use it? But, maybe it's because you Can't use it?" the Hotel Head asked with that smirk still on his face, knowing that everyone in this room understood what he was implying.

(Dōjima then tells Shinomiya about how his stagnate is affecting him, basically canon/identical to the Manga/Anime. I didn't want to copy that here, but if you want to know what Dōjima said, it starts on Chapter 26 page 4, last panel, and ends on page 14, panel 2).

'Just as planned, eh, Ojisan,' Sōma thought when he heard the sounds of a fork and knife at work.

Shinomiya took a bit of the Rainbow Terrine. He could easily tell it wasn't heated long enough, so why... The French Chef's palms pressed against the table as he looked down at the dish. 'Why does it feel like it's warming my very soul?' Shinomiya thought, Before noting 'Yes, it's inexpertly made, but each step, each piece, you can feel the thoughtfulness for the person who's going to eat this dish.' It reminded the French chef of the love and concern of his parents, mostly his mother. How they could be both stern and caring towards him at the same time. It made Shinomiya remember when he was 7, the time his mother scolded him for getting into a fight with some schoolmates, how mad she was at him for the fight but at the same time, she told him that she was glad he was alright. Shinomiya also remembered the rainbow that appeared overhead that day.

"The two of you used Allspice (9) in the pâté," Shinomiya stated calmly, regaining his composure.

Chef Mizuhara then said "It's a convenience spice for nullifying the smelling-ness is of some ingredients. You used it to get rid of the smell from the chicken liver, right?"

"True, we did use the Allspice for that, but it wasn't the reason why we used it. I mean, considering what you alumni have been doing for the past two days, neh, Megumi-chan," Sōma said, before nudging Megumi with his elbow. Chef Gotoda, Chef Mizuhara, and Chef Sekimori raised a brow in confusion at that comment.

Megumi finally got her voice back and she said in her semi-nervous tone "Ano, Allspice is a-also used to aid digestion, s-so w-we used it in the Rainbow Terrine so it would be easier on your stomachs."

Chef Gotoda and Chef Inui were bursting in tears of utter joy, both were in delight because of that thoughtful thinking of the cute little country girl. Chef Mizuhara whacked them over the head and told them in a soulless tone that they were being overdramatic.

Dōjima then told Shinomiya "It may not be a perfect dish, but they put in the effort to make it resonate with the people who would soon be eating it."

The French chef was quiet for a bit before stating "Oi, blind brat."

"If it's another blind joke, then drop it, I've heard them all," Sōma said coldly, not even turning to the voice. Okay, that really stung, in more ways than one.

"I'm a little insulted that you assumed I was going to crack one of those jokes," Shinomiya said with a small sweatdrop on his forehead.

"Somewhat of a forced habit, considering how often I hear them," Sōma stated, before turning to where he heard the French chef's voice and asking "So what is it?"

"Never mind. It's nothing important," Shinomiya said as he turned to walk away from the group, thinking about the path he lead so far and what he needs to do to change it. The French chef then said over his shoulder "The two of you better survive till the end of this camp, since I'll never forgive myself for this match if you get kicked out." Shinomiya then left the basement. 'Yukihira Sōma, huh,' the French chef thought as he made his way to his room.

"Ano... Did Shinomiya-senpai just leave before the judges made their decision for this Shokugeki?" Sōma asked when he heard the door to the basement open and then closing. Megumi realized that her friend was right.

The basement was eerily silent.

Chef Gotoda, Chef Mizuhara, and Chef Sekimori looked at each other and agreed to end the Unofficial Shokugeki in a tie, to make things easier and less embarrassing.

Dōjima told the country girl that her cooking is warming, welcoming, and strongly comforting. Hospitality, a very powerful weapon if used wisely in the cooking field, and the key to Megumi's long stay at Totsuki.

"Now, off to bed with you two. The next bout of the camp's challenges still lay ahead," Dōjima said, realizing what time it was. Megumi and Sōma nodded and left the basement, that was when the two noticed all the messages on their phones from their dormmates, telling them how worried they were about them. The two student quickly scurried off towards their rooms.

Chef Gotoda, Chef Mizuhara, and Chef Inui left without another word, well, except maybe some debate between the Empress of the Mist and the blond chef over who should get Megumi.

Chef Sekimori lagged behind and asked Dōjima "Should I even be surprised that you somehow wrangled your godson into helping you with Kojirō?"

The hotel head raised a brow and asked the sushi chef "So, how long have you known?"

Chef Sekimori folded his arms and said "Wasn't hard to figure out when you look for the signs that are. Plus, the other Gemini Chef dropped by my restaurant before this camp started."

Dōjima chuckled out a "He told you, huh. Why am I not surprised." Chef Sekimori simply gave a small smile.

~}i{~

The Next Day...

The Hell Camp was getting even tougher, but Megumi was doing very well, thanks to her newfound confidence that Sōma and Dōjima have given her. Mind you she was still a bit nervous, but she was doing a lot better.

As Sōma worked on his dish, he heard some talking going on nearby. "Nabu-san, are there people by the wall?" the blind student asked the Assisted Help staff as he continued cooking. Nabu looked towards the closest wall, seeing a group of people in suits, and told the redhead this. "Any idea why they're here?" Sōma asked, but Nabu said he didn't.

As he continued to cook, Sōma wondered why the suits were here.

~}i{~

At 21:01 (9:01 PM)...

The Polaris group were heading back to their rooms when Sōma asked his friends about the people in the suits, but since they were completely focused on the 80 servings task, they didn't even notice. Ryoko was looking over the camp schedule when noticed that there was nothing on for lights out for today. It was speculated to be a printing error when there was an announcement over the hotel speakers, calling all of the students to assemble in the Grand Ballroom, in uniform, at 22:00 (10 PM) for a mandatory meeting. Attendance is an absolute must.

What could be so important that they had to call all the students to one location at this hour?

}{

At a quarter until the meet time, Sōma had a hand on the wall as he continued down the corridor. He was looking for the brail plagues, to direct him to the Grand Ballroom. 'I need to find an employee and ask if they can take me to the Grand Ballroom, this place is way too big for me to navigate,' Sōma thought as he tapped the ground with his cane while he kept his other hand on the wall, really wishing Mayu were here to help him. Maybe he should've waited for his dorm mates before heading out, this hotel really was too huge.

Erina was walking down a hallway to her destination, not really thinking anything odd about the late night gathering. As she came up to a corner, a hand landed right on one of her breast.

The next thing Sōma felt with the hand on the wall was something covered in cloth that was big and jiggly, followed by a loud scream.

Erina was red with both embarrassment and rage, covering her breast, and shouted at the blind student "HOW DARE YOU SQUEEZE ME LIKE THAT?!"

Not really realizing what he had just done, and not realizing the voice of who he had just ran into, Sōma apologized for hurting whoever he ran into.

"Somehow, I expected something like this from you," Erina said in a huffy tone.

Finally recognizing the voice, Sōma stated in a calm tone, as if the incident never happened, "Oh, it's you, Princess. Are you heading towards the Grand Ballroom as well?"

Noticing what he had said, Erina spotted an opportunity to finally rid herself of this nuisance and the unwanted summer job all with one blow. With a smirk practically painted on her face, the Nakiri said: "Actually, I was heading back to my dorm for a few things, but I can point you in the direction of the ballroom."

'Strange, why is she being nice all of the sudden?' Sōma wondered when he said in a calmly suspicious tone "Really, how oddly polite of you."

Erina frowned and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, nothing, it just seems like politeness doesn't seem to be apart of your personality, at least from the information I've gathered," Sōma stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

With an anger mark clearly visible on her forehead, Erina snipped "I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear that."

"I wouldn't really do that," the redhead said before adding "Listening skills are very important in any industry, not just cooking, You might want to keep that in mind."

Erina simply rolled her eyes, said "Whatever. The Grand Ballroom is down that corridor. Just keep following it until you get to the giant doors," and pointed straight ahead to a hallway with a sign that said Dining Hall A.

"Ano, can you be a bit more specific?" Sōma asked with a sigh. You'd think people would think before they just say things. 'Then again, everyone's human,' The redhead thought to himself.

Erina practically shoved Sōma towards the Dining Hall corridor and snapped "THIS corridor!"

"All right, all right, no need to be so pushy princess," Sōma said as he took a step in the direction he was forced to go when he asked "You coming? Or are you going back to your dorm?"

"My dorm, like I said, I have to get a few things to get before I start heading to the Grand Ballroom," Erina said with a smirk on her face.

"Alright, later princess," Sōma said as he started walking.

With a happy smirk on her face, Erina turned towards the real direction of the Grand Ballroom and thought 'There won't be a later for you, you disabled second-rate chef.'

}{

At the scheduled time and place, and the Totsuki first-year student, who have survived so far, were there. Roughly 80% of them looked completely wiped and could fall asleep standing on their feet, and all look as nervous as hell. Yuki reeeealy wanted this assembly to be over as quickly as possible, so they can get some sleep. Shun, Ryoko, and Megumi looked around, wondering where Sōma was.

Ikumi and Takumi ran right over to Megumi and shouted about what the hell Yukihira was thinking when he challenged a Totsuki Graduate to a Shokugeki. The two then glared at each other, asking who the other was. Isami was the one to ask "Where's Yukihira-kun, Tadokoro-chan?"

But before Megumi could answer, Dōjima was on stage as he started his announcement.

Through the microphone, Dōjima said to the students "I've brought you all here tonight to inform you of tomorrow morning's first assignment." The students murmured to each other about why the hotel had was telling them about this the night before. Dōjima continued "Your assignment will be to create a new breakfast dish fit to grace the tables for our Totsuki Resort Hotel Guests. The breakfast offering is the face of a hotel. It is a critically important meal in helping to start the day of each and every guest. We would like you to present a fresh and surprising dish that can decorate their breakfast table with invigorating delight." Even more yammer from the students hovered in the air, the majority stating that this was the hardest assignment yet. After getting the students' attention, yet again, Dōjima then stated with a mischievous grin "The main ingredient will be 'Egg'. *Holds up a single white chicken egg in his right hand, so everyone could see*. We will not restrict you to either Eastern on Western cuisine, but the dish Must be servable buffet style. Judgment will begin tomorrow at six in the morning. Please have your dishes ready for tasting by then."

With that, a pure eruption of noise filled the ballroom, all from the students.

Dōjima ignore the onslaught of noise when he said calmly "You may use your time until morning as you see fit. We will open all the kitchens, so you may use them to practice your dish. Or, if you rather, you may return to rooms and sleep. I will see you all again at six in the morning. Dismissed!" With that, the hotel head walked off the stage. While he did, he noticed that he didn't see the blazing red hair of his godson in the crowd. Since Dōjima couldn't call out to see if Sōma was here, due to it being a very major conflict of interest (despite the fact that he Can keep a professional distance during times like this), he decided to walk behind stage and called Hiromi to check the security feed to find out where his godson was. 'There is no way in hell Sōma would miss any of the assignments. Something not right here.'

Dōjima thought as he heard Hiromi tell him over the phone "Sir, you can't interfere with Sōma during the camp anymore, you promise you wouldn't after he helped you wi-"

"He's not in the Grand Ballroom with the other students," Dōjima interrupted as he peaked at the students from behind the curtains, looking again for that blazing red hair.

"But, he passed all the assignments, so he should be there with the other remaining students," Hiromi said over the phone as he started looking over the security camera monitors for the Grand Ballroom, looking for Sōma. While the hotel staff aren't allowed to interfere in the Training Camp's curriculum or with the students (unless a good reason should emerge), they have to make sure all the students are in a safe environment and accounted for as long as they are on the hotel's grounds. The second-in-command of the Totsuki Hotels did not see the blind redhead on the monitors in the Grand Ballroom or in any of the nearby kitchens.

"Dōjima-kun," Chapelle asked as he saw the look on his former student's face. The former Gemini Chef's head snapped towards the teacher. "Is there something wrong?" the blond teacher asked as Dōjima motioned him to come closer.

When the teacher did, the former Totsuki student put Himori on speaker and told the hotel staff "Tell Chapelle-sensei."

"I can confirm, Yukihira Sōma was nowhere in or near the Grand Ballroom, and after looking through the security feed, he wasn't even there when you gave the assignment for tomorrow." Chapelle narrowed his eyes and stated, "Find him."

"Understood, sir," Hiromi said before hanging up.

"I normally don't care if a student wishes to give-up during this camp; however, I do not believe that Yukihira-san would ever give-up when camp is so close to being over," Chapelle said in his stoic tone.

Dōjima raised a brow when he asked: "He's made that much of an impression on you?"

"Perhaps," was all the teacher would answer, before asking the former Gemini Chef with a serious look in his eyes "But, does Yukihira-san seem like a quitter to you?"

Dōjima shook his head and said "From what I've read from his transcript unless he's sick with a cold, he's never missed a day of school. Would someone that attentive really miss an assignment? Willingly? Even after I used the hotel's speakers to notify all the students, no matter where they may be?"

"I thought as much," Chapelle said, looking out at some of the students, who were still in the ballroom.

}{

"Oi, seriously, where is Yukihira? I don't see him anywhere," Ikumi stated, looking around the ballroom for the blind redhead.

Takumi looked around as well when he said: "Come to think of it, I don't think ever saw him come in."

"But... He left before us, so he should've already been here," Ryoko said, not really liking what she and the others were saying.

Something was not right.

Erina walked passed the Polaris group, the Aldini Twins, and Ikumi and stated in a very confident tone "I suggest you worry more about yourselves than some pathetic blind student. This camp is supposed to push the students to do their best, and I doubt any disabled chef can pass." She might as well tell the redhead's little friends this. Erina was confident that Sōma would never pass and that she will never have to step foot in a common diner. Hisako rushed up to the honey blond, telling her that her kitchen space is available for her to use.

The group really wanted to tell the Nakiri off, but... The repercussions were not in their favor.

Chapelle's eyes narrowed at what he just saw.

~}i{~

To Be Continued...

~}i{~

Omake: Summer Job for the "7 Elite Seats". (This is just a work in progress title, and is open for suggestions)

}i{ July 2; Summer Job Day 1 }i{

A long black limo dropped off Nikiri Erina, Eizan Etsuya, Kinokuni Nene, Saitou Somei, Akanegakubo Momo, Kobayashi Rindou, and Tsukasa Eishi off at the edge of Sumire Town, where they were told where their 'Summer Living Arrangements' and Yukihira Sōma's family restaurant were. All of them were wearing relatively large backpacks.

"Nya~ couldn't they've dropped us off closer to this place?" Kobayashi whined then complained that they didn't give them enough food to eat on the way here.

Eizan then snapped at the cat-eyed girl "How can you complained about not having enough food?! You ate ALL Seven of our bentos!"

Kobayashi grumbled, "Those didn't taste so good~." Tsukasa got between the two to prevent them from going all out.

"We better start walking, since we need to be at this… 'Diner' place in an hour. We don't need to get on His bad side on day one," Kinokuni said in a monotone voice.

Erina growled in annoyance. 'How could I, of all people, be stuck working at a common eatery? Much less His eatery?' the honey blond wondered angrily, before remembering that it was all because of the bet she and the other present Elite members made with the Headmaster. 'How could Mito-san lose to someone like Him? Especially since it was her specialty?' Erina wondered as they started walking into the city. It never once crossed the honey blonde's mind that maybe Sōma won by his own skills and talents.

"Ano… Does anyone know where anything is in this city?" Tsukasa asked the group nervously.

That stopped the other Elites in their tracks.

}{ Two Hours Later }{

Koganei Aki (10) was walking towards Shokujidokoro Yukihira so she could see her Best Friend, Yukihira Mayumi. She was so happy that she and her older twin brother were back for the summer, even if the twins had to work on their 'Summer Assignment Project' (Aka; He's preparing/creating his dish for the Autumn Election while she has a project assignment from her school). 'They said that their father had to hire seven students from this Totsuki place because the Headmaster asked him to…. Wonder why?' Aki (Using the first name, since she's going to be re-occurring in these Summer Omakes) thought curiously. Then she figured that those seven were probably signed up for the Totsuki version of 'Summer School' or something like that. That was when she saw a group of six teens and an elementary school age girl arguing in in front of everyone on the street, and they were making a huge scene. Aki decided to ignore the group and try to walk by them, but they were inadvertently getting in her way.

"OI!" Aki shouted in annoyance, getting the annoying groups' attention, and stated angrily "You guys are causing a scene here, so how about doing this stuff somewhere else?" She made sure not to use any curse words in front of the elementary school girl (This would be Momo btw). Aki knew that these people weren't from around here as she looked them over, those clothing was practically irrefutable proof of that.

"Ano," the white-haired teen twiddled his fingers before saying "We're, ano, actually, ano, looking for a particular place that's, ano, that's supposed to be in the area."

"And you don't know where it is?" Aki asked with a raised brow. The group reluctantly nodded at that. Aki sighed and stated, "Ya know, you could've asked a local what you were looking for; I mean a lotta people here know the city like the back of our hand."

The white-haired teen glanced to the side and said "Ano, I suggested that, but…. They said they didn't need any directions…."

The girl with cat eyes pounced on the white-haired teen and said in a playfully menacing tone "Did ya really need to tell her that, Eishi?" The white-haired teen looked like he was halfway to being scared to death as the cat-eyed girl twisted her fists on the sides of his head.

Aki had a sweatdrop on her forehead as she thought 'Who the heck are these dolts?'

}{ At Shokujidokoro Yukihira }{

"Those so-called Elites are late, I mean Really late," Mayu stated in an annoyed tone as she doodled on a pad of paper. She was sitting at one of the tables in her family restaurant as Sōma sat across from her, tracing his fingers over a page of a braille book.

"I'll tell the Headmaster that when I send him those required Daily Reports," the blind redhead stated before adding "Time Management seems to be one of their weakest traits." The brunette teen agreed to that.

"Mayu! Sōma!"

The Yukihira twins recognized that voice immediately.

"Aki!" Mayu shouted happily as she ran to hug her Best Friend, who in turn hugged her back.

"It's so good to see you again Mayu," Aki said with a smile on her face.

Sōma chuckled and said, "I somehow knew you'd be the first person to greet us." Aki grinned and stated that she wasn't alone. Mayu looked over her friend's shoulder while Sōma listened to the footsteps of seven individuals.

"Are they the Totsuki students that'll be working here during the summer?" Aki asked as Mayu looked them over, then replied: "Yes, they are, and they are very late."

"Well, excuse us for not knowing where this place it," Erina snapped.

"Ano, actually, we were given the address, but..." Tsukasa stated, twiddling his thumbs.

Rindou then said with a smile "We just didn't know where it was~. And why we were, like, super la~te."

"Did any of you think to ask someone where Shokujidokoro Yukihira was located?" Sōma asked the "Elites", only to be met with silence.

Aki broke the sound void by saying "Well, they did ask me after I asked what they were looking for."

Sōma sighed and said, while rubbing the back of his head, "Since it's day one, I'll let this slide, but I do expect all of you to be on time tomorrow. Now does everyone have their uniforms?" Kinokuni Nene, Saitou Somei, Akanegakubo Momo, and Tsukasa Eishi pulled out a paper bag out of their respective backpacks. Nikiri Erina, Eizan Etsuya, and Kobayashi Rindou made absolutely no motion.

"I heard four people," Sōma stated before Mayu asked, "What about you three?"

Erina stated that she wasn't wearing such an abomination, Eizan stated that he packed it in his suitcase, and Kobayashi simply said that she forgot hers.

Sōma said in a very stern tone "I'm pretty sure you were told that you had to have your uniforms with you on day one right." Eishi said that they were. Aki was starting to understand why some of these people needed extra lessons. "Alright, Mayu, those three are all your," Sōma said with a sigh, before adding "Don't go overboard though."

Before any of the seven could wonder what their new boss meant, the three who did not have their uniforms were handcuffed. The handcuffs had a thick rope attached to the chains, and Yukihira Mayu was holding the other end of the ropes. "Follow me for your punishment, please," Mayu said in a cheerfully evil tone with a smile on her face. The female twin tugged on the ropes, hard enough to nearly cause the three to lose their balance as they were forced to walk. Mayu forced Erina, Eizan, and Kobayashi into a vacant room, walked into it, closed the door, and locked it.

Kinokuni was the one to ask "What exactly is the pun-"

Before the question could be complete, there were three screams coming from the locked room.

The four remaining Elite quickly turned to the door in shock as the door started rattling as the screaming continued.

"Ano... Should we stop her? I mean, even Eizan's screaming..." Tsukasa asked nervously.

Sōma calmly answered "You can try, but I recommend you not. Since you might actually be joining them if you do." Aki simply nodded at that. From what the standing Elite could figure by the blind redhead and the sandy blond's reactions, this seemed normal.

The screaming continued for 10 whole minutes before it finally stopped.

The door clicked when the lock tumbled, and Mayu happily walked out. "They now have uniforms for today," the female twin said cheerfully.

Aki raised a brow and asked, "Then what was with all the screaming?"

"Oh, they didn't want to wear them, so I was convincing them to wear them," Mayu said in that happily cheerful tone.

Sōma asked, in a tone that made it sound like he was going to regret it, "Are the uniforms you were "convincing" them to wear Spiked?"

Kinokuni, Saitou, Akanegakubo, and Tsukasa were a bit confused by that statement, but Aki seemed to understand when she said with an Oh-Boy-This-Is-All-My-Fault tone "You're really making me regret taking you to that "Hidden Bonds" lecture."

"Ano, to be fair, neither of you knew what it was about," Sōma said, trying to cheer his friend up.

Kinokuni, Saitou, Akanegakubo, and Tsukasa looked at each other wondering if they were talking about what they think they're talking about.

Erina, Eizan, and Kobayashi finally walked out of the room or trying to walk normally, in what looked to be brand new Shokujidokoro Yukihira. From what the four unpunished Elites could see, they were flushed red and limiting their own movements... Kinokuni, Saitou, Akanegakubo, and Tsukasa thought right about what the blind redhead and the sandy blond were talking about!

Erina struggled out "Y-you! Th-this h-has to be a-against the law!"

Mayu smirked and stated cheerfully "Nope, it's not. But as long as everyone behaves and wears their uniforms every day, no one will e~ver know." Aki felt like she was the one responsible for that whole thing.

Well... The 7 Elite now knew who NOT to tick off, or cross...

After everyone but a certain redhead was seated, three of whom were still red and did not look comfortable, Sōma went over the rules and menu of Shokujidokoro Yukihira.

}{ Omake: To Be Continued }{

~}i{~

(1); "Having a Laugh" is a British slang for "You're Kidding".

(2); Andoryū is basically the Japanese pronunciation of Andrew.

(3); Pâté is meat or fish minced into a paste, vegetables, and herbs can be added as flavor.

(4); Glutamic acid is a α-amino acid.

(5); Umami, or savory taste, is one of the five basic tastes. It has been described as brothy or meaty. People taste umami through taste receptors that typically respond to glutamate.

(6); A Colobockle is a tiny spirit from Ainu folklore that is said to live under butterbur leaves.

(7); A Zashiki Warashi is a childlike spirit from Japanese folklore that is said to bring good fortune to the house that they reside in.

(8); A Yukinko is a small snow sprite.

(9); The Allspice plant is a tropical, mid-canopy tree. The leaves and dried fruits are often used as a cooking spice. It was given the name "Allspice" because it combines the flavor of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

(10); Her image is here,  shokugekinoSō wiki/Aki_Koganei

~}i{~


	7. 7: Hell Camp pt 3

_**Gale-Dragon**_ : Hello everyone. Chapter 7 is up and ready to be read.

~}i{~

"Talking"

'Thinking'

(Author making comments)

~}i{~

Shokugeki no Sōma Nashi Saito de Chīfu. Chapter 7; Hell Camp pt 3

~}i{~

Sōma was standing in the middle of the gigantic room, that he was told was the Grand Ballroom by Erina, tapping his right index finger on top of his left hand that was resting on his cane. Waiting for his godfather to come up and speak.

It was strangely quiet. Too quiet.

The only thing Sōma heard was the faint sound of the a/c, that was all.

He didn't hear the footsteps of the other students, he didn't hear any voices of the other students, he didn't hear any of the staff members, he didn't hear anyone rushing in, he didn't hear the voice of his godfather, and he didn't hear any of his friends calling out to him. It was just way too quiet considering that there was suppose to be an announcement for the next assignment.

'Why isn't anyone here for the announcement? Not even my dormmates and Ojisan are here,' Sōma thought to himself, before wondering 'Come to think of it, how long have I been waiting?'

Sōma pulled his phone out of his pocket, hit the main button, and asked the phone "What time is it?" The phone dinged and said, "The time is now 22:11 (10:11 PM)." Upon hearing that, Sōma realized what happened, and snarled out an "I knew it! I knew I shouldn't have trusted her! That lying, rotten, brat of a princess!" He then pressed the button on the phone again and told it "Set a reminder for July 3 at 9:00 (AM), Titled: Bratty Princess' Jobs Will be Bussing Tables and Washing Dishes." The phone dinged again and said, "Reminder has been set for July 3 at 9:00 (AM)."

'Now that that's taken care of,' Sōma thought as he made his way to the same door he came in, then thought 'I just need to find someone who can tell me what the assignment is.'

~}i{~

22:34 (10:34 PM).

All of the kitchens were packed with students, all of whom were preparing for the morning's assignment. More than 80% of them were just now starting to realize one of the true difficulties of this. The self-doubt and the worry, just from the thought of the dish they made just might not being up to par with the challenge. That alone would be enough to keep them up all night.

}{

"I think I'm going to go to sleep," Erina stated, without even the hint of stress or doubt on her face or in her mind, and asked Hisako if she was going to continue practicing.

She replied, "Er, yes, I'm still only half finished."

"Oh, ok, don't stay up too late," The honey blond said with a happy good-night and told her that she'll see her in their shared hotel room. The pinkette smiled and waved the Nakiri off, then thought 'Erina-sama seems to be in a very good mood,' before going back to her prep and thinking 'She must already have the perfect dish for tomorrow.'

}{

In another kitchen, Takumi and Megumi managed to figure out what their dishes will be for tomorrow. Just as they were going to head off for some sleep, Sōma walked into the kitchen with a Sena Hiromi. This, of course, made the Polaris group, Aldini Twins, and the Meat Master happy and relieved. Yuki had the blind redhead in a bear hug, crying out that she was glad her fellow dormmate was alright, as both Ikumi and Takumi shouting at him in unison "WHERE THE HELL WHERE YOU?! YOU MISSED THE ANNOUNCEMENT?!" The two then started glaring at each other.

"S-Sōma-kun! What happened to you? Did you get lost?" Megumi asked as if she was a worried mother.

Getting out of the orangette's grasp, Sōma said: "A certain brat thought it would be amusing to give me bad directions, so I ended up in a different hall during the announcement."

"WHAT?!" All of Sōma's friends/allies shouted at the same time.

"Who the hell would do such a horrible thing?" Ikumi seethed, before adding "I mean, is this person so incompetent at cooking that they would sabotage someone like that?!" Takumi had a sneaking suspicion about who sed person was when he remembered what she said earlier. 'But she's the 10th Seat... Would she really do something like misleading a student about a location?' The blond half-Italian thought, not sure if he was really liking what he was speculating.

"Ano, anyway," Sena said, getting the group's attention before continuing "Yukihira-san has been told what the assignment is for tomorrow and the student who gave him the bad information will be dealt with appropriately by Chapelle-sensei, personally." This eased the group a bit. That was when Sena asked, "But just to be on the safe side, could one of you stay with Yukihira-san so he can get to his room safely?" Ibusaki Shun volunteered since he and Sōma were roommates. The blind redhead happily thanked the soft-spoken student.

With that Takumi and Megumi retired to their rooms. The blond made sure to tell the blind redhead not to slack off so he can have a challenge for tomorrow, Isami practically shooed his bother out of the kitchen and saying something along the lines of "Okay, Nii-chan, you told him, now go get some sleep."

As the rest of the group worked on their dish, Sōma already had an idea for the dish he wants to make and gathered eggs, butter, tomatoes, garlic cloves, olive oil, red wine, granulated consommé, dried parsley, salt, and pepper onto a tray and brought them to a free workstation. 'Okay, I have all the ingredients I need to make some test dishes,' the blind redhead thought as he placed the tray onto a cooking counter. 'I'll use the advice Andoryū gave me about whipping egg whites,' Sōma thought as he was about to break his first egg.

Suddenly, Sōma smelt a relatively heavy scent of fish and it smelt like it was right in front of his nose. But the fish smell smelt like it was on something that constantly came in contact with fish rather than the fish itself. "Yes, I am actually blind. Now will you stop with the whole waving a hand in front of my face, it's really old," Sōma stated in an unamused tone as the hand in front of his face stopped moving.

Kurokiba Ryō pulled his hand away and asked in a lackadaisical tone "How did you know I was doing that if you're blind?"

"Your hand reeks of fish and I can smell it move from side to side. On that note, I can assume that you specialize in seafood," Sōma answered as he folded his arms, egg still in hand, then asked/stated "Please tell me you're doing that because you have an egg dish ready for tomorrow and you were curious to know if I really am blind."

"Ano..." Ryō started to say in his lackadaisical tone when he was interrupted by an albino teen, Alice, who stated in a cheerfully surprised tone "Oh, like, wow! I was wondering if you were, like, faking it for some sympathy or something."

Sōma then said in a snarky sarcastic tone "Gee, you must've been watching every little move I made to come up with a theory like that."

"Aww, come on, like, don't be like that," the albino female teen said in a huffy tone, that mostly sounded like she was only faking that she was mad, and added "I only wondered that because you, like, don't really show that you're blind when you're cooking."

"That's due to practicing my cooking every day," Sōma stated as he cracked the egg and separated the whites from the yolk, not even missing the bowls he was using.

Seeing that Sōma wasn't even looking at the bowls as he cracked open another egg, separating the yolk from the egg whites again while not even missing a beat or had any hesitation, Alice waved her right hand in front of the redhead's unseeing eyes. Sōma frowned and stated in an annoyed tone "Seriously? Are you really doing that too? We've already established that I'm blind, now you're just doing that just to be annoying."

That actually did surprise the albino when she said in a shocked tone "Like, how'd you know? My hands don't stink like Ryō-kun."

"Oi," Ryō said lazily, not really caring that he'd just been insulted.

Sōma simply said, "Your hands do have a scent." Alice blinked in confusion when he said that as the redhead placed the eggshells into another bowl.

Sōma then suddenly grabbed Alice's wrist (the hand that was still close to his face) with his right hand and pulled her hand close to his nose. Alice blushed red at the sight of the redhead holding her hand so close to his face like that. Ryō just looked on with an unamused look on his face. "I was right, the scent is similar to what Ishi's hands smell like after one of his experiments," Sōma muttered, before telling Alice "Since Totsuki is a cooking school, I can assume your Specialty is Molecular Gastronomy."

Alice froze and her eyes widened. Ryō now actually had a look of shock on his face.

Alice yanked her hand away, still blushing red, and told Ryō that they were heading to their rooms. Sōma took note of this and said: "So the two of you really do have your dishes for tomorrow."

"Yeah," Ryō said in his lackadaisical tone.

Sōma smiled happily and said, "Maybe you'll let me try them after the assignment is over." Alice turned even redder before she stormed off. Ryō followed her, via walking. 'A Molecular Gastronomist and a Seafood Specialist... That's certainly an odd duo,' Sōma thought before he continued with making his test dish.

~}i{~

On the morning of Day Four, the previous day, all of the students were randomly assigned to one of the many Dining Halls.

After getting his assigned station, Sōma was getting all of the ingredients for his dish, with the help of Aki and Nabu (the two Assisted Help Staff). Noticing the ingredients that they were getting, Aki asked: "Ano, Yukihira-dono, what are you planning on making for this assignment?"

"A Soufflé Omelette, I figured people would like the fun texture," Sōma said with a smile.

Aki stopped and asked in a surprised tone "A soufflé? For a buffet challenge? Are you serious?"

Sōma stopped, turned an ear to the staff member and asked: "Yes, why?"

Aki and Nabu looked at each other a worried look. They had to tell him the truth, about why soufflés and buffets don't mix.

~}i{~

"I don't believe it," Dōjima stated, rubbing his hand down his face, completely shocked at the recording he'd just watched with Chapelle, who was still wearing a straight face (Talk about having a good Poker Face). "I can understand one of the weaker students doing a stunt like this, but HER?! The Nakiri heir and 10th Seat?! It's just-! I don't know what to really say," the hotel head stated in an uncharacteristically befuddled tone. If the hotel security cameras didn't capture the whole thing on tape, no one would ever believe it.

Chapelle re-watched the recording of Erina directing/pushing Sōma towards a Dining Hall, saying it was the Grand Ballroom. "I agree, Dōjima-kun, I agree, but this is solid proof of her sabotaging Yukihira-san. And by Totsuki rules, I must take appropriate actions. It doesn't matter what her social standings are, she is still a student and what she did was NOT acceptable," Chapelle stated, rewinding the recording before playing it again.

Dōjima let out a sad sigh when he said: "I guess the thing that bothers me the most is the fact that she did it without the slightest bit of hesitation." He was telling the truth, while he was displeased that someone would do such a thing to his godson, the fact that there was no guilt or hesitation for the deed is what really hit the hotel head the most.

"I can understand how you feel about it," was all Chapelle said as he re-wound the recording again, then hit play.

~}i{~

Erina was completely pissed right now.

Why?

One, she was mad that her cooking station was next to the cooking station Yukihira Sōma was using. Two, she was mad that Yukihira Sōma being here, and knowing what the assignment was. And Three, she was enraged because Yukihira Sōma was completely IGNORING her! All reasons involved the blind redhead.

Erina finally noticed that Sōma and the two Assisted Help were only organizing and placing everything in a particular way, no one was cooking. The assignment was about to begin and the blind redhead didn't have a single plate of food out! With a finger to her chin and a sneer on her face, Erina mocked "Fu, are you really that incompetent that yo-"

"Nabu-san, do you have all the cases of eggs?" Sōma asked, cutting off the honey blond's sentence, thus pissing her off even more.

"Yup," Nabu stated and added, "I have everything set up so it'll be easier to move them when needed."

The blind redhead smiled and said "Good." This was ticking Erina off, even more, she had at least five anger marks visible on her head right now. Sōma turned on four portable burners.

Before Erina could really express her obvious anger towards Sōma, Dōjima made his announcement via the tv monitors in all of the Dining Halls. Sōma turned his head up towards the sound, to hear the announcement better.

"Is everyone ready to present your dishes? Good. Now I will explain the conditions for passing. First, Let me introduce the judges!" Dōjima said into a mic. The next thing all of the Totsuki students knew, all the Dining Halls were filled with people, at least 1/3 of them were children. Dōjima continued his explanation "These are the families of the producers who partnered with Totsuki Resort Hotels to provide all of our ingredients. They are courageous enough to serve as our judges for this assignment every year. This year's theme of "Fresh and Surprising Eggs" has already been conveyed to them. We expect they will be the exacting judges they always are."

The majority of the students were just about ready to pass out due to the fear from just seeing all of the older men who were big the food markets. Sōma made no reaction to these people, he just kept his head pointing up so he could hear Dōjima speak over the sudden noise, this simple act was enough to catch a lot of the more experienced judges' attention.

More people walked in as Dōjima announced: "Also joining us as judges today are the steps and service staff of the Tosuki Resort Hotels." everyone easily recognized all of the head staff of the Totsuki Hotels. Well, everyone but Sōma. Dōjima continued with the announcement "Now, there are two requirements for this assignment. First, is whether or not our personal producers and staff find merit in your idea. And second, is having 200 servings of your dish eaten within the next two hours! Those who fulfilled both of these requirements will pass."

Roughly 80% of the students were already mumbling under their breath that the task was impossible, especially after pulling an all-nighter. Takumi, on the other hand, was thinking 'Aah, I get it. Male, female, young and old, servers and farmers… They have completely replicated what a hotel breakfast audience would be like! Out of all the assignment so far, this challenge is the closest to what we would face in the real world.'

"Now then, ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy this breakfast and the fun of the moment…" Dōjima stated before finishing with "Let the Judging Begin!" Then he thought 'Good luck, Sōma.'

With that, the cooking began.

"Yosh! Time to start the show!" Sōma stated with a smirk as he cracked his first egg, separating the yolk from the egg whites into two separate bowls. Aki and Nabu got ready to do their part in this as they thought back to earlier.

}{ Flashback }{

"Really?" Sōma asked in a rather surprised tone.

"Yes," Nabu said before adding "Because of the delicate structure of a soufflé, it'll go flat if it is not eaten within a short period of time after cooking. And at a buffet, customers are free to choose what they want to eat, when they want to eat, and may not choose a certain dish. Thus, why you don't have any type of soufflés at a buffet."

Sōma thought for a moment before saying "But... It's too late for me to change my dish now or experiment on a new dish! I have to use the Soufflé Omelette."

That was when Aki said "But... Trying to get the attention of passing customers... That'll be rather difficult for a buffet."

An idea sparked in Sōma's head when, that was when he said with a smirk "Then, why not make it into a show." Nabu and Aki looked at the blind redhead and asked what he meant by that. With that smirk still on his face, Sōma stated: "What's the best way to grab people's interest?"

}{ End Flashback }{

The answer to that question echoed through the Assisted Help staffs' head: "Doing something big to catch their attention! Like a show!"

Sōma then flipped two Soufflé Omelettes high into the air from two of the four burners he was using.

Aki and Nabu were ready, each had a plate in each of their hand and their eyes on the flying omelets. Aki caught them on his plates, just as Sōma flipped the next two into the air. As Aki placed his plates on the tray, Nabu caught the next two with his plates. As Nabu put his plates on the tray, Aki grabbed two more plates as Sōma started filling the pans with the raw omelets. The Soufflé Omelettes that were on the tray were still bouncing from the impact, but they still retained their omelet form.

"Woah! Did you see that?!" a boy around 7 or 8 said, pointing at Sōma's station. "Yeah, that was super cool!" another boy around the same age said. Then a girl the same age as her male companions stated "Whaa! It looks and smells yummy!" Children started gathering around Sōma's cooking station, to watch the redhead show-off he cooking skills and waited for the dishes to be served.

Sōma's plan was working!

Once the tray was filled with plates, Nabu placed the tray in front of the children, all of whom took a plate and took a bite of the fluffy, jiggling, and yummy omelet. All of them then expressed complete and utter delight from the fun and delicious dish.

Erina only glanced at this, scoffed, and thought 'So what if he gets the children, he'll never pass with something as pathetic as an omelet.' She then turned her complete attention to cooking her perfectly delicious Egg Benedict, at least, that was her opinion.

}{ 1 Hour and 30 Minute Remaining for the Assignment }{

Takumi and Megumi were doing really well and already had a couple of stacks of used plates piling up. The half-Italian's Instalata Frittata was a big hit with the young ladies, while the country girl's Bite-Sized Breakfast Stew did surprisingly well with the older customers. Although, Megumi did get a proposal to marry the grandson of Kyusaku, the natural cheese producer.

Ikumi's Petite Loco Moco Don got a lot of attention early on, mostly because of the oddity of it being served at a buffet. Although, the Meat Master did have an annoyingly unpleasant run-in with Alice, but Ikumi brushed it off, especially when she saw what the albino was serving. 'I see hardboiled eggs, eggs still in their shell, and bowls of raw eggs... Does she call that 'Cooking'? Nobody's going near her stuff, either,' Ikumi thought as she looked over the trays of food at Alice's cooking station as people passed it by. Then the Meat Master wondered 'What the hell is she thinking?'

As Erina was loading a tray of her "Royal" Egg Benedicts, she saw a line of people around the corner of her station. With a gloating smile, the honey blond thought 'Of course there would be a line for MY cooking. Let's see... After this round of trays, I should reach 200 dish mark.' Once the tray was full, Erina picked up the tray and thought 'Don't worry, my dear customers, you shall have more of my wonderful cooking.'

Erina turned with the tray in hand, so she could put it on the counter. But what she saw nearly caused her to drop her tray. Nearly all of the plates she had laid out for the customers to take were still there, only about six or seven of Erina's plates have actually have been eaten. Erina put down the tray she was holding and rushed to the counters, to see if she was seeing things.

She wasn't.

'Why?! Why aren't they eating my dishes? I cooked these to absolute perfection... How come no one is taking any of them?' Erina thought, placing both of her hands onto the counter, staring at her Eggs Benedict. 'They're perfect in every single way... so why?' Erina thought, trying to figure out if there was some outside force preventing people from wanting her "perfect" dish.

The speakers dinged on and announced "Yukihira Sōma, 200 Servings Complete!"

Erina's shocked eyes snapped to the cooking station next to hers. It was bustling and booming with people. Customers of all ages and demographics were happily enjoying the Soufflé Omelettes that Sōma made, as the blind chef kept up the amazing show.

Erina couldn't believe it! Yukihira Sōma... He... He reached the 200 Servings mark before her!

How? How?! And with an Omelette!

The majority of the students were surprised to hear the name of the blind student being the first to complete the challenge. But to the students who knew better, they were really happy to hear that Sōma wasn't having any problems anymore. Takumi then shouted at the speaker that he fell behind this time but will win next time, Isami sighed when he heard this. Dōjima couldn't be any prouder at the moment, but he had to keep himself from grinning ear to ear though. The Hotel Head had to keep a professional distance after all.

"Oh? Erina wasn't first? That's, like, totally a shocker," Alice said, looking up at a nearby monitor. 'Oh? So his name is Yukihira Sōma,' the albino thought as she watched the monitor that showed the blind redhead cooking on it, still putting his cooking abilities on show for everyone to see. "Wow, he's, like, really that good," Alice had to admit. Placing her left index finger to the side of her chin, the albino continued to watch the screen until the image changed. 'He's also kinda cute too,' Alice thought as a customer took an interest in her odd dish.

}{ 50 Minutes Remaining for the Assignment }{

"Yukihira Sōma, 400 Servings completed!" the speaker system rang out.

Sōma just poured the mixture of beaten egg yolk and the fluffy egg whites into all eight of the burners, the max number he was allowed to use. "Yosh, time to make the next batch," the blind redhead said as he reached out to where the bowl of eggs (that were still in their shells) sat. Reaching in, Sōma realized that he was out of eggs. "Ano, Aki-san, Nabu-san, could you hand me some more eggs?" Sōma asked the two Helpers as he kept an ear to the burners. As soon as they put the jiggling omelets onto a tray, Aki and Nabu immediately turned to the crate of eggs they acquired before the assignment started, only to realize one thing.

"Yukihira-dono, there are no more eggs for us to use," the two said at the same time.

"Eh?" was all that came out of Sōma's mouth.

After looking around a bit more, Aki and Nabu noted that they were also out of tomatoes. "I guess, I'm done then," Sōma stated before sadly telling his customers that he was closing up and that the remaining Soufflé Omelettes, that haven't been served, will be for his friends. The crowd 'aww'ed at that. The children thanked their "Really Cool Nii-san" for all the yummy cool omelets. Sōma happily waved the children off, thanking them for eating his dish, and telling them to be adventurous and to try some of the other dishes available. The people who still had a plate in their hand finished off whatever was on it and placed the empty plates with the rest of the stacks.

Once the remaining omelet was finished, they were plated and placed on a cart. "Do the two of you mind helping me find my friends? I want them to try my dish and so I can try their dishes," Sōma said happily to the two Assisted Help staff. They nodded happily.

As the trio headed out to find all of Sōma's friends, Erina glared at the blind redhead.

}{ 30 Minutes Remaining for the Assignment }{

With the Assisted Help staff, Sōma was able to find all of his friends, give them a plate of his Soufflé Omelette, and he enjoyed their dishes. Sōma loved that each of his friends were able to create unique dishes with Eggs as the main ingredient. 'This assignment turned out to be really great,' Sōma thought cheerfully as he happily ate of Ikumi's Petite Loco Moco Don while she ate his Soufflé Omelette. The white cane was leaning against the outer wall of Ikumi's cooking station.

Sōma then heard the sound of a crowd nearby. "Hm? What's going on over there," the blind redhead asked Ikumi as he pointed his chopsticks towards the sound.

Ikumi turned towards the crowd and said "I haven't the slightest idea... One person tried that girl's dish, and word of it moved through the customers like wildfire."

"So her dish is good, huh," Sōma stated as he placed his now empty bowl on top of the stack of bowls that were piling up. He then picks up his cane and started walking towards the crowd.

"OI! Where are you going?!" Ikumi shouted Sōma, who smiled at the meat master and said "To try her dish, of course. Her cooking must be amazing to get these many people after just one customer." Ikumi blinked a bit before saying "Ano... I guess that's... Ano..."

"Oh, my, I only have enough ingredients for one more plate," Alice said in a tone that showed that she was only faking her astonishment of this fact. She then looked over to the countertop with all the empty trays and towers of plates. "I never expected so many people to enjoy my cooking so much," Alice stated in that same fake astonishment tone. 'Just as I expected~' the albino thought cheerfully.

"Hm? Are there any plates left?"

Alice turned to the person who asked the question, only to see Sōma feeling around one of her trays with his left hand as he held his cane with his right. "Oh? Yukihira-kun?" Alice asked looking at the blind redhead, who replied "Hm? That voice... Oh! You're the Molecular Gastronomist from last night."

The albino got all huffy and said in a childish tone "I have a name, you know!"

"Ano, you didn't exactly introduce yourself last night," Sōma said as he placed his left hand on top of his right hand, that was still resting on his cane.

That was when Alice vocalized "Ah! You're right!"

"I'm Alice," the Albino stated cheerfully, then added "I heard your name over the speakers, Yukihira-kun. You got to 200 servings before Erina. That's, like, super impressive."

"What's so impressive about that? I just used my brain and skills for this assignment. I just happened to the first one who thought of using both," Sōma stated plainly. The blind redhead really didn't want to talk about that blond brat of an heiress at the moment.

Alice stared at Sōma for a bit before finally saying "I do have enough ingredients for just one more dish, I can make my Three-Faces-of-an-Egg Breakfast for you."

Sōma blinked his unseeing eyes and asked: "Is it alright for you to?"

"It's fine, it's fine. Besides it be, like, a waste if I just leave these ingredients anyway," Alice said, waved her right hand before she started making her dish.

Sōma tilted his head to the side and thought 'Does she have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) or something? She just doesn't seem to sit still, or pay attention.'

When Alice was finished with her final dish, she placed it in front of Sōma. The albino picked up one of the three eggs, the one that looked like a raw egg, and told the blind redhead to hold out his hands. Sōma leaned his cane against the counter and took the little bowl with the raw looking egg. "Just slurp it and chew it," Alice explained cheerfully. Sōma did as he was told.

"Oh! Interesting! You made a Saltwater Gelée (Jelly) layer that lays around Salmon Roe inside gelatin! The rich saltiness of the roe wrapped in the gelatin and the flavor of the gelée, so fun! Andoryū would get a kick out of this texture! But, how'd you incorporate Eggs into this?" Sōma stated/asked Alice, who replied "The word Roe is just a classier term for Fish Eggs, and I made this look like a Raw Egg. The "Yolk" part was filled with the Roe and the "Egg Whites" part was the Saltwater Gelée."

"I get it, so, we were not just limited to eggs from birds for this assignment," Sōma stated before finishing off the "Raw Egg", chuckling at the fun texture and adding "Yup, Andoryū would love this texture, Kon might like this too."

'Andoryū? Kon? Are those friends of his?' Alice wondered as the redhead put the tiny bowl down.

"Next Egg~," Alice said cheerfully as Sōma held out his hands and she gave him the "Hardboiled Egg".

"Hm? This feels similar to a Hardboiled Egg, but it's a little softer," the blind redhead said, then rand his thumb over the flat side of the "Egg" and added, "The yolk part feels creamier too." Sōma then ate the "Hardboiled Egg". After swallowing the "Egg" the blind redhead said with a chuckle "I get it. For this one, you made a white asparagus mousse for the "Egg White" part and the "Yolk" is Hollandaise Sauce made from real egg yolk. You made the sauce from scratch, right?"

"Wow, you can tell?" Alice asked, actually shocked (for real).

"I'm sure you've heard, but when you lose one of your five senses, the others become heightened, to compensate for the sense that has been lost," Sōma explained before saying "Plus, I've had Hollandaise Sause before. It tastes better when it's made from scratch, in my opinion at least."

"I see," was all Alice was able to say right now.

"Last one~, hold on this one's a bit tricky," Alice stated as she carefully picked up the eggshell and stuck a small straw into a small hole in the shell. "Cup your hands, please," the albino told the blind redhead, who complied.

"Hm?" Sōma felt the eggshell and asked, "Ano, how do you eat this?"

"Oops, sorry," Alice stated before adding "You drink it, not eat it. I inserted a straw that you can use." Sōma then brought the eggshell to his face, his lips almost touching the shell, he turned the eggshell until he felt the tiny straw, and then he got the staw into his mouth.

After one sip, Sōma said "A milkshake? Oh! I get it, you removed the inside of this egg and filled it with a milkshake. *Takes another sip*. You made it with milk, eggs, and caramel."

"Right again," Alice stated with a cheerful smile.

"It's delicious, but isn't it a little inconvenient for it to be inside an egg like this?" Sōma asked the albino before adding "Or did you do this to make all three of these to resemble eggs?"

Alice grinned and said, "The later, of course."

"While I do admire the fact that you were creative when it came to this challenge, but isn't it a bit redundant to make all of them look like three different forms of an egg?" Sōma asked before taking another sip of the milkshake.

Alice then stated in a childish huffy tone "Oi, it's MY dish! If I wanna make my dishes look like eggs, then I'll make them look like eggs!"

"And I'm sure they look exactly like forms of eggs, and I'm actually impressed by that," Sōma stated honestly.

This caught Alice off guard.

Sōma continued by saying in a rather happy tone "I mean, you have to have a lot of guts to actually want your amazing tasting food to look ordinary and the ability to make it look exactly how you want to. After all, if you're expecting to eat one thing, but taste the flavor of something unexpected delicious, it adds a hell of an impact on what you're eating."

Alice blinked in amazement, turned a faint shade of pink, and got out an "Ano, I guess that is true..."

Sōma finished off the milkshake and said cheerfully "Anyway, I'll see you back at Totsuki, Alice-chan. Say, maybe you can teach me some Molecular Gastronomy and maybe compare recipes during our free time."

Alice blushed and said "Ano, sure... I guess when neither of us has class."

Sōma then walked off, cane in hand to guide him. Alice's face was still red when this happened.

}{ Assignment: Over }{

Whoever completed the assignment were cheering for joy (everyone in the Polaris Dorm, Ikumi, and the Aldini Twins passed, btw), while whoever did not make the 200 servings mark were pretty much groaning that their lives were over.

A voice suddenly emitted through the speakers "Attention all students who passed the 200 Servings Challenge. Your next assignment will begin in four hours' time. You have free time until then, which you may use to rest."

While the majority of the students who passed started to panic, Erina untied her hair, not at all concerned about this news of an assignment, and thought sourly 'I managed to get 307 servings... But... HE got over 400 servings! What sort of trick did he use to get all of those customers to eat a boring, everyday omelet?' The honey blond was so engrossed in trying to figure out how the blind redhead outdid her (She's totally overthinking the situation and she didn't really bother to get a good look at Sōma's omelette), she didn't even notice Chapelle standing in front of her, with a portable DVD player under his arm.

"Nakiri-san!" Chapelle snapped, in a louder tone then he'd normally use, finally getting the heiress' attention. By now it was just the two of in the hall since everyone raced away to prepare for the next assignment.

Looking up, Erina finally asked "Chapelle-sensei? Is there something I can help you with?"

With a stern look on his face, Chapelle stated: "Yes, you can explain your actions here." The teacher opened the portable DVD player, so that the screen was in front of Erina, and hit the play button.

Erina's eyes widened with fear and the colour drained from her face in pure horror as she watches the recording of her misleading Sōma.

"From what I can tell, this is a clear act of sabotage," Chapelle said sternly as he closed the portable DVD player, and added in that same stern tone "There is no word for me to use that can accurately describe how disappointed I am with you for doing such a thing." Erina still had that look of pure terror on her face when Chapelle stated "While I am not going to expel you or have you completely removed from the Elite Ten for this, you are dangerously close to the first of the two at the moment. For one of your punishments, the official report for this camp is that you underperformed and were barely able to pass all the assignments given and your powers as the 10th Seat will be diminished significantly."

"WHAT?! YOU CAN'T DO THAT?!" Erina shouted, not at all believing what she was hearing.

"I can, and already have," Chapelle stated sternly, before adding equally sternly "The Headmaster has been told of your actions and was emailed this very video, as you can imagine, he was not amused. Right now, your position as the 10th Seat of the Elite Ten is dangling by a very thin, single thread. You are officially on Academic Probation. One more stunt like this and you WILL be removed from your seat and formally expelled."

Erina was utterly mortified by this.

~}i{~ Day 5 of the Cooking Camp, 16:00 (4 PM) ~}i{~

Dōjima started his speech for the (mostly petrified) Totsuki students that passed the 200 servings assignment.

With a microphone in hand, Dōjima said to the students "Before we begin, one thing... At this point in the Camp, 352 students have failed and have been expelled. 628 of the remaining. This may seem harsh to you, but this is a microcosm of the real culinary world. To be a successful chef requires every skill, every ounce of determination you have. You cannot afford to lose your composure and unexpected situations. You must be acquainted with all types of ingredients. Once you become a chef, you must deal with constant pressure, but you must also withstand nights played by doubt and indecision as well as successfully adapt to unforeseen circumstances all while remaining professional. To make a living as a chef is like wandering alone through a storm-driven wasteland. The harder you push yourself the better you become, the more tired your legs grow and the venture your ultimate goal seems. For you know what, some of you may find yourself standing at the apex, having completely lost sight of the way there."

Megumi wondered if there was another meaning behind what Dōjima was saying.

Dōjima closed his eyes for a bit before opening them again and continuing with his speech "But, there is one thing I would ask you not to forget. Here at the Totsuki Institute, you have friends and companions who also choose their footprints on the same wasteland. May that truth brings you hope and encouragement when you finally step out on your own. I sincerely wish you all the very best of luck." These words were actually able to lift any doubt that some of the students might have had.

With a small, visible smirk on his face, Dōjima then stated "Now then. Let us begin the final assignment for this camp." This nearly caused around 75% of the remaining students to have a panic attack.

The doors leading to another section of the hotel open.

"Welcome!" the staff of the Totsuki Hotel greeted the remaining students as they directed them into a classy looking dining hall.

Every student was completely shocked by this.

Dōjima spoke into the mic, getting their attention, "To all 628 of you who have survived this far, allow me to be the first to congratulate you on passing all the challenges of this cooking camp! Your final assignment is to celebrate your success at the modest dinner party. everyone, please enjoy yourselves!" The students cheered at this, and they got even more excited when they learned that they would be eating a full-course meal prepared by the Totsuki Alumni.

With that, the surviving Totsuki first-year students enjoyed the delicious feast.

~}i{~ The Next Morning ~}i{~

At the moment, the Totsuki students were packing all of their belongings from their hotel rooms.

Sōma and Shun just zipped close their suitcases when they suddenly heard someone singing.

"Woke up with yawn. It's dawning, I'm still alive. Turned on my radio to start up new day. As goddanmed DJ's chattered how to survive. Amazing news got over on the airwave."

Sōma pulled his phone out from his pocket as the singing continued.

"Tonight, Love is rationed. Tonight, Across the nation. Tonight, Love infects worldwide. Almost another day." (1)

Shun then asked the redhead "Did you change your ringtone?"

Sōma replied "No, I have different ringtones for each of the people close to me," as he hit the answer button on his phone.

Shun then asked, "And you've memorized who has which ringtone?"

Sōma answered yes to the question and then said to the person on the other line "Hello? ... Eh? Now? ... But, I have to be on the bus in about 2 hours. ... Really? ... Are you sure? ... Alright, fine, but I have to leave before the buses do, understand? ... At least you know that. ... Okay, see ya."

"Someone you know here?" Shun asked Sōma, who replied "Yeah, and he wants to meet up with me before I head back to Totsuki."

Shun looked at the digital clock on the nightstand and said "Since we're completely packed, and if you bring your suitcase with you, and be at the bus depot before the buses leave... It shouldn't be much of a problem to meet up with this person now. I'll tell the others where you are."

"Thank you, Ibusaki-kun," Sōma said with a smile before he left the shared room with his suitcase rolling behind him.

~}i{~

"Kanpai!" Cheered the staff of the Totsuki Resort as they toasted their glasses.

"Oi, Ojisan," Sōma (resting an arm on his suitcase) stated in a bit of a deadpin tone, before saying "When you said you wanted to congratulate me on passing the camp, I thought you were actually going to be normal and pat me on the back or tell me how proud you are of me... NOT A FULL BLOWN PARTY!"

Yup, Dōjima Gin was throwing a really nice, celebratory party for Sōma for completing the camp. It was being held in a hall on the other side of the hotel, so the other students wouldn't find them by accident. Dōjima patted the redhead on the back and said happily "Oh, come on, am I not allowed to throw a celebratory party for my godson, who might I add, passed this camp with ease."

Sōma sighed and wondered 'How is this guy our godfather again?'

"I knew something was up."

Sōma blinked and thought he recognized that voice. 'But whose voice is it?' the blind redhead wondered. That was when he heard his godfather say "Now, now, Shinomiya-kun, no need to get angry." Sōma turned to Dōjima's voice and said "Shinomiya-senpai?"

Right now, Shinomiya was glaring daggers at Dōjima when he hissed out "I should have known that you planned that Shokugeki. And you used your godkid!?"

Dōjima waved his hands in a defensive matter and said: "Now, now, Shinomiya-kun, that was for your own good!"

"Ojisan, is right, senpai," Sōma said as he stood next to his godfather, and added, "If you hadn't gone up against Megumi-chan and I, what would've happened to your cooking?" Shinomiya went silent. The blind redhead then said, "There was no denying that the Chou Farci you made was delicious, but there was also no denying that it felt that it wasn't made to the best of your abilities."

Shinomiya eyed the floor. He knew the blind redhead was right.

"By the way, wouldn't it be a conflict of interest if the godkid of one of the main overseers for the camp is attending sed camp?" Shinomiya asked with an evil glint in his eyes.

"Ojisan is very professional, he would never interfere unless something serious arises," Sōma stated before adding seriously "The only times I was with Ojisan was when we met in the Hot Springs completely by coincident after the 50 servings challenge, when he came to my room with the 'Lure you into a Shokugeki' plan, during the meet for Shokugeki, and during the Shokugeki itself. That was it. And I'm sure you've noticed that Ojisan kept a professional distance from me."

Shinomiya raised a brow and asked, "How'd you know that?"

"Aki-san and Nabu-san noticed you in the corners or by the doors from time to time. I distinctly remember them wondering out loud if you had too much free time on your hands," Sōma explained with a chuckle. Shinomiya flushed pink with embarrassment.

"Oh? You were watching my godson, huh," Dōjima asked Shinomiya in a teasing manner.

With a face redder than a tomato, Shinomiya snapped "I wasn't! I just happen to walk into the rooms where he was in!"

Dōjima continued with his teasing "Oh? Are you sure about that?" With an even redder face, Shinomiya snapped that he was sure.

Sōma sighed and thought 'This is one reason why I have a hard time taking Ojisan seriously when he's not in his Professional Mode.'

Shinomiya looked at a wall clock and said "Crap!"

Someone suddenly grabbed Sōma's right wrist and snapped "We need to get to the bus lot, NOW!"

"Senpai?" was all Sōma got out before Shinomiya started pulling him out of the hall, both with their wheeled luggage in their free hands.

"The buses are about to leave!" Shinomiya shouted as soon as the turned out of the hall.

"Oh? Now he worries about Sōma," Dojima said with a thoughtful look on his face before saying "My, my, Sōma, you certainly know how to attract interesting people to you." The hotel head couldn't help but smile and wonder how Jōichirō would react to this.

~}i{~

By the time Shinomiya dragged Sōma to the bus lot, all of the buses were gone.

The French chef cursed under his breath. "Judging by how quiet this place is and by your reaction, the buses are gone, aren't they?" Sōma asked keeping his grip on his suitcase.

"Yeah, now neither of have any transportation," Shinomiya stated in a frustrated tone.

Sōma thought for a bit before saying "We can ask Ojisan if he can lend us a hand and give us a ride to our destinations. I'm sure he wouldn't mind, especially since the camp is over." Shinomiya reluctantly agreed to that. "Speaking of hands," Sōma stated, pulling his right arm a bit (that was still being held by the French chef), and adding "You can let go of me now." After noticing that he was still holding the blind redhead's wrist, Shinomiya turned pink, released his grip, and softly apologized. Sōma then said, "Well, better head back inside."

The two suddenly heard a squeak and turned to the sound.

Nakiri Erina was surprised to see the famous Japanese chef that specializes in French cooking and the blind chef of Totsuki standing in front of her.

"Who's there?" Sōma asked Shinomiya, who replied while looking at Erina "I think she's one of the Nakiri kids."

"Nakiri... Wait, One of? You mean there is more than one Nakiri attending Totsuki?" the blind redhead asked the French chef, who replied "Only two that I'm aware of. Cousins, I think."

Sōma was quiet for a bit before saying loud enough for Erina to hear "Oi, brat of a princess, is that you?"

The honey blond turned red and shouted: "Will you quit with that awful nickname!" Sōma sighed and stated "Damn, it is her. I was hoping it might have been the other Nakiri."

Shinomiya blinked before wondering 'Did something happen between these two?'

Someone ran up to Erina, saying something along the lines of arrangements being made for a car for her to use, but only one car was available. The attendant noticed the two redheads and asked: "Oh, did they miss the bus too?"

~}i{~

During the first two minutes of the limo ride, one thing that was as obvious as the Midnight Sun of Alaska was the tension between Sōma and Erina. Shinomiya was currently sitting between the two Totsuki students in the back seat of the limo. The last time the French chef felt such a tension was when someone spiked everyone's soup dishes during one of Chapelle-sensei's classes. The Shinomiya clearly remembers that furious aura.

'Something nasty must have happened between them,' Shinomiya thought as he watches Sōma take out a pair of headphones and an mp3 player from his suitcase (that he insisted stay by his side). The blind redhead put the headphones on and hit the play button on the mp3 player. Sōma just sat in his seat, listening to whatever was playing. From what Shinomiya was able to hear, it wasn't music.

"Shinomiya-san, will you be able to attend the Fall Classic?" Erina asked the Totsuki graduate.

Shinomiya eyed the honey blond and said: "No, I already have a lot of things to do at my restaurant back in France."

Erina then said, "That's too bad, the Fall Classics bring out the best dishes in the first-years."

"I know that," Shinomiya stated plainly before adding while crossing his legs "I was selected for it during my first year."

"I'm sure you were, and I'm sure you placed in the top 3," Erina said as she flipped her hair and added "After all, the Fall Classics are the best way to-"

"Make a rough guess for a selection for the next Elite Ten," Sōma interrupted the blond. This immediately got Erina and Shinimiya's attention.

Sōma paused whatever he was listening to and said "The Fall Classics basically show the skills of the selected students. Who's cooking needs work, and who's skills stands above the rest of the first-years."

Shinomiya blinked before thinking 'I guess it's to be expected of Dojima's godson to know these things.'

"How the hell do you know that?!" Erina practically snapped.

"This really interesting thing called "Reading", I'm sure you've heard of it," Sōma stated coldly, then added coldly "I read the student handbook, obviously."

Erina then shouted "How the hell can you even read?! You're blind?!"

Sōma scoffed and said coldly "Shows what you really know Bratty Princess."

"What did you just call me?!" Erina snapped angrily.

Sōma sighed and said coldly "Maybe if you stopped shouting so much, you would actually hear a lot better." "Why You!" Erina growled out.

Shinomiya raised a brow at the sudden change of behavior with the heiress and the interaction between the two students. 'Something really did happen...' the French chef thought, before suddenly remembering that Chapelle-sensei mentioned something in passing about being disappointed with the actions of one of his most promising students. After a little thinking about what was said by Chapelle back then, Sōma's actions now, what the Nakiri heiress was just saying, and the layout of the hotel, Shinomiya came to a conclusion. A conclusion that was pretty close to what really happened. The French chef then thought 'While I admit I wasn't the nicest person to Yukihira-kun at the beginning, but there is no way in hell I would ever do something like that to him.'

Shinomiya gave an audible chough and said told Erina "Actually, you are doing a lot of shouting and considering that we are in an enclosed space, you are pretty loud. So can you please stop before I become deaf." Erina flushed red in embarrassment and quickly turned her head to the window with her face still red.

Shinomiya then turned to Sōma and said: "I didn't know the Totsuki Student Handbook came in braille."

"Oh, I guess you were in France when it happened three years ago," the blind redhead said before adding "Japan's National Education Board passed a law that all schools must have their student handbooks available to all students, including students with a disability (2)."

"So, Totsuki made a braille variation of their student handbook. Wouldn't an audiobook be easier?" Shinomiya asked with a raised brow.

Sōma shrugged and said, "I'm not really sure why Totsuki went with braille, but all I know that there was an either-or choice between audio and braille for every school in Japan."

The French chef muttered an "I see."

Erina wasn't listening to the conversation, instead, she was thinking about how she was being told by a Totsuki graduate that she was acting inappropriately. 'How unbecoming of a Nakiri, and it's all His fault,' Erina thought bitterly.

"Eh, really?" Erina heard Shinomiya say. The honey blond turned to the two.

"Yeah, Midori's an expert when it comes to that," Sōma said with a smile.

Shinomiya chuckled before saying "Sounds like someone I should meet."

The blind redhead laughed and said, "I'm giving you the heads up, she's already married."

"Oi, Oi! That's not what I meant!" the French chef said with a tinting of pink on his cheeks.

Sōma laughed and said, "I know, but people usually start flirting with her the moment they meet her."

"Ah, that explains the warning," Shinomiya said in a thoughtful tone as he placed the second knuckle of his right index finger on his chin.

'Is he trying to say that this Midori person is beautiful or something?' Erina thought with a raised brow.

"Besides, I really don't want you to get caught up in one of Midori's mind games," Sōma said with a chuckle before adding "She just loves to make those people feel stupid. It's a really bad habit of hers and I'm glad Kon didn't inherit that from her."

Shinomiya just blinked and Erina raised an eyebrow.

Hearing that no one was talking, Sōma hit the play button on the mp3 player and the limo continued on its way.

~}i{~ Later ~}i{~

The limo dropped off both Erina and Sōma close to where all of the buses were parked. Shinomiya leaned over to look at Sōma and said: "Try to stay out of trouble if you can help it."

Sōma chuckled and said "No guarantees, but things happen." A glare of light hit the French chef's glasses as a smirk crossed his face. Erina saw this and wondered what they were talking about.

The limo drove off, towards its next destination.

Sōma started walking towards the sounds of his fellow first-year students when he heard Erina asked him what the French chef meant by what he said. "My, my, you really aren't a good listener, are you," Sōma said as he continued walking, not really caring if the honey blond followed him or not.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Erina asked in a peeved tone as she followed him.

Sōma sighed and said, "If you're asking that then you really do need to improve your listening skills and you might as well re-read the Totsuki Student Handbook about Student Courtesy while you're at it."

Erina froze at that. She knew exactly what he was implying.

"YUKIHIRA!"

"Ah! Hello, Takumi-kun," Sōma said rather casually when he heard the voice. The blond half-Italian rushed to Sōma, grabbed the blind redhead by the collar, and practically shouted "WHERE THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU?! YOU MISSED THE BUS!"

Sōma cringed at the volume, then said: "Ojisan held me up long enough to make me miss the bus."

"Hm?" Takumi blinked and asked, "Your uncle came to visit you after the camp?"

Sōma chuckled, as he got out of the half-Japanese's grip, and said: "No, actually, he's my godfather, but I call him Ojisan because he's the same age as my Pops."

"So he held you up..." Isami said as he stood next to his twin brother. Sōma nodded at that and said, "He's can be a bit, ano, excentric sometimes."

Yuki managed to catch Sōma in a bearhug again, saying something along the lines of her and the rest of the Polaris Dorm being worried about Sōma's disappearance, again. The blind redhead, as the rest of the Polaris residents, did their best to calm down the hyperactive orangette. It actually didn't take too long for her to calm down.

"I'm here now, so no worries," Sōma said with a smile. everyone in the Polaris Dorm agreed and then Shun said: "Everyone from the dorm has passed, so there's no more reason to worry."

"He's right," Megumi said in relief before adding "We're all here and everyone is alright."

Ryōko then added, "Daimidō-san called while we were on the bus and said there's going to be an amazing congratulation feast when we get back to the dorm."

Yuki's face lit up when she said "Eh?! Really?!" Daigo and Shōji happily cheered at that.

Erina just watched the scene unfold before her, not really sure how to process what was happening. These fellow first-year students seemed more interested in everyone from the Polaris Dorm being together then why Sōma missed the bus. It was just plain strange to Erina.

"Yahoo~ Hoo~, Yukihira-ku~n!" a cheery voice called out to the group.

While everyone turned their heads to the voice, Sōma turned an ear to the voice.

"Alice! What are you doing here?" Erina asked in complete shock when she saw the albino girl and a lackadaisical Kurokiba Ryō.

"Alice-chan?" Sōma muttered before asking "The Alice-chan who made the Three-Faces-of-an-Egg?"

"Bi~n~go~," the Albino said cheerfully as she held out her index finger, waging it side to side with each syllable.

"Instead of talking about faces of eggs, you answer my question Alice, what are you doing here?" Erina snapped in an annoyed tone.

"There's no need to tell you anything, Er~i~na," the albino stated in a childishly teasing manner.

"Ano, do the two of you know each other?" Isami asked the honey blond and the albino when he realized neither of them was using any honorifics (3) when addressing one another.

Alice puffed her cheeks and said in a childish tone "Unfortionally, we're cousins."

'Oh, Shinomiya-senpai did mention that the two Nakiris were cousins, but I didn't think Alice-chan was the other Nakiri. But it does somewhat explain Alice-chan's connection to Molecular Gastronomy,' Sōma thought, remembering how Molecular Gastronomy works and some of the big names in sed field.

"Ano... Miss Alice, didn't you come here for something? Besides irritating her," Ryō asked Alice his usually lackadaisical tone, not really caring much for the later comment.

"Ah! You're right," the albino stated in a very childish tone and manner, before pretending to think about what she wanted to say.

The only thing Ryō did was sigh and think 'You'd think she would act more mature by now.'

"Oi, Ryō-kun," Sōma said, getting the raven-haired teen's attention before asking "Is Alice-chan always like this?"

But before Ryō could even reply, Erina said in her Higher-Then-Thou tone "She's always been the over dramatic and annoying type."

Sōma frowned and stated in an annoyed tone "I'm not sure if you heard, but I asked Ryō-kun about Alice-chan. Your first name is Erina if I recall correctly."

Erina glared at Sōma and snapped "She's My annoying cousin."

"That may be true, but you don't really seem to be close to her, despite not using honorifics with each other.

Ryō-kun has known Alice-chan longer, so he would be the real person to ask when asking about Alice-chan."

Ryō-kun looked at Sōma and asked in a shocked tone, not his usual lackadaisical tone, "How'd you know I knew Miss Alice longer than her?"

"Because of a lack of behaviors from both you and the Bratty Princess," Sōma replied.

"Lack of behaviors?" Ryō-kun asked as Alice giggles at the nickname the blind redhead had given her cousin. The rest of the group had a confused look on their faces when they thought 'Doesn't Sōma-kun usually refer to Erina as Princess?' That made them wonder.

Erina was still pretty pissed about sed nickname and snapped "I TOLD YOU TO STOP CALLING ME THAT! YOU! YOU DISABLED SECOND-RATE CHEF!" A lot of other students started gathering when they heard the honey blond shouting.

"OI! You have absolutely no right to call my future husband such degrading names!" Alice stated in an angry tone (not her usual childish pretend anger tone).

Everyone went deathly quiet at that very moment. And everyone had their widened eyes on the albino, save for Sōma who was wondering if he heard correctly.

Erina then stuttered out with an utterly shocked look on her face "W-w-w-w-w-what th-th-the h-h-hell d-d-did you j-j-just s-s-say?!"

Alice puffed her cheeks angrily and said: "You heard me." The Albino then walked up to Sōma, her footsteps were audible to everyone, and wrapped her arms around the blind redhead's right arm. Sōma was pulled off-balanced for just a moment before he catches himself with the cane in his left hand. Alice then said for all to hear "Yukihira Sōma will be supporting me as my husband when I become Head of the Narikiri Family."

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!" Everyone in the immediate area practically shouted at the same time.

Sōma's eyebrow twitched as his face was distorted in pure shock when he thought 'What the hell?!'

~}i{~

To be Continued...

~}i{~

Omake: Summer Job for the "7 Elite Seats". (This is still a work in progress title, and is open for suggestions)

}i{ July 3; Summer Job Day 2 }i{

8:53 (AM) at Shokujidokoro Yukihira...

Nikiri Erina, Eizan Etsuya, Kinokuni Nene, Saitou Somei, Akanegakubo Momo, Kobayashi Rindou, and Tsukasa Eishi just walked into the diner, all in their uniforms for sed diner (the uniforms that aren't Spiked btw).

"Sorry, We're not open yet. But please come back at 10:00 (AM) and we'll serve you up some tasty food that'll feed your soul," Sōma said when he heard the footsteps as he placed a cup full of chopsticks onto a table.

"Ano... It's us," Tsukasa said nervously as he fidgeted with the helm of his uniform shirt.

"Are all of you here?" Sōma asked, turning to face the group of Seated Elites.

"Yes! We're all here!" Erina snapped sourly.

"Watch your tone, missy," Mayu stated as she walked into the area, before adding "He IS your boss now, so show him respect. *Now in a more sinister tone* Unless you Want to wear the Spiked Uniforms I have available." That shut Erina up pretty quickly.

Sōma walked around a table, heading towards the back, and told the 7 of the Elite 10 to follow him. Mayu went back upstairs, while the Elite wondered how the blind redhead was able to navigate around the table without the use of his cane.

Once everyone was crammed into the food storage area for the Diner, Sōma gave the 7 of the Elite 10 the first order of the day. "As you heard me say earlier, we open at 10:00 (AM), so we have to get everything ready before then. The food prepared into portions, tables cleaned, kitchen cleaned, and the tuperwears ready to be used. Your first job will be to get all of these done before we open. With all of you working on these together, it shouldn't take you that long," the blind redhead stated tapping on a shelf stocked with meat and added "Mayu wrote down the portion sized for each of the meats, do try to follow them, keep everything in order, and don't even dare complain about the quality of the ingredients if you've never tried them. Mayu'll shove you in one of her Spiked Uniforms if you do."

All of the Elite shuttered in fear at that.

"I'll be manning the Diner, of course. Mayu's not going to be helping out much because of her Summer Project," Sōma stated, pulling a small bag of raspberries, a small bag of blueberries, a small bag of blackberries, and a bag of strawberries off a nearby shelf, all without the slightest bit of hesitation. It was really too weird for the Totsuki students to be witnessing.

Saitou was the one to finally ask "Are you really blind?"

Holding all the bags in his arms, Sōma said with a sigh "Yes, I am, and the reason I can navigate and know where everything is located, is because I lived here in this diner all my life." Now that they thought about it, it does make sense that the blind redhead would know where everything is in this place, even if he couldn't see anything.

Sōma then walked out of the storeroom to let the 7 of the 10 Elite work. The moment the blind redhead was completely out of the storeroom his phone went off and said "Bratty Princess' Jobs Will be Bussing Tables and Washing Dishes", he stopped the moment he heard that. Nikiri Erina, Eizan Etsuya, Kinokuni Nene, Saitou Somei, Akanegakubo Momo, Kobayashi Rindou, and Tsukasa Eishi turned their heads towards the blind redhead when they heard this. Erina seemed to be a turning red in anger. Sōma shifted all the bags to his left arm to free his right and used it to fish his phone out from his pocket. "Why'd I set that?" Sōma wondered out loud as he turned off the alarm, before saying "Oh, right! Now I remember," then said sourly to the honey blond as he put his phone back into his pocket "Bratty Princess, the only time you're allowed in Yukihira's kitchen is to wash the dishes, nothing more."

Erina got all mad, of course, and shouted "WHY THE HELL NOT?! I SHOULD BE AN ASSET IN THE KITCHEN!" Everyone in the storeroom covered their ears at the shrieking.

Sōma turned to the storeroom and said "If you want to work in This Kitchen, you earn it, and so far you have not earned that right, Bratty Princess. Also, shouting isn't going to help you earn anything except bleeding ears."

Before Erina could snap back, Saitou placed a hand on her shoulder, while rubbing one of his ears with his free hand, and said: "He tis right about thine shouting." The honey blond turned to see that the others were rubbing their throbbing ears.

Sōma then said "This rule doesn't just apply to just the Bratty Princess. If any of you want to work in this kitchen, you will have to earn it."

"Wait, all of us?" Kinokuni asked in a rather surprised tone.

Sōma nodded and explained "Those are Pop's rules, and it's been like that since he opened the diner. All us Yukihira kids earned the right to work in the kitchen, and since you seven are working here, this rule applies to you as well."

Tsukasa gave a nervous chuckle and said "I guess our Seats will not have use when "earning" the right to cook in your kitchen, huh?"

"That is correct," Sōma said flatly before adding in that same tone "You basically have to prove to us that you are willing to work as a chef."

Erina flipped her hair and said "Are you serious? We are the Elite of Totsuki. I'm sure we don't need to prove anything."

"I don't know about that," Sōma said before asking the 7 Elites "Are you truly sure you know what it means to be a chef?"

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSE TO MEAN?!" Erina practically screeched.

"Nariki-san!" the other six Elites snapped at once with their hands still covering their ears.

Sōma walked off towards the kitchen, shaking his head, with the bags of berries still in his arms, and thinking 'I'm not sure about the five others, but the Bratty Princess' got a LOT to learn about being a chef... And that money-lover needs some work too.'

}i{

9:53 (AM) at Shokujidokoro Yukihira...

Everything was done. Bowls and plates are clean and ready to be used, tables are spotless, floors were shining, everything in the kitchen is sparkling, and all of the meats are in perfect portions. It took a while since all of the Seated Elites had to keep referring back to Mayu's notes, and the threats that were written in bold lettering to not move the placement of anything. 'She's not even trying to hide it from us that she will use Those if we mess up,' all seven thought after reading that particular part the first time, then they wondered if Sōma was aware of the written threats.

"Over here," Sōma happily waved when he heard the seven sets of footsteps, signaling them to come to a table for eight. Akanegakubo noticed the ten glasses of dark ruby red liquid, hugged her bear plushie, and asked: "What are those for?"

The blind redhead smiled and said "Call it a Shokujidokoro Yukihira Pre-Opening Tradition, to give you the energy for today. Don't worry, there are just berries in them."

So Sōma made them juice from the berries earlier...

Eizan looked at the table, raised a brow, and asked: "Why are there ten glasses when there's only eight of us?"

"One's for Mayu," Sōma said simply, then added, "And the other is for-"

"I'm back," Said a voice from the diner entrance.

'It's four minutes to opening. Why is there someone already here? And how'd they get in?' The seven Elite thought in unison.

"Oh, Hiro, good timing," Sōma said with a smile, before taking a sip of his drink, as a short boy with dark-colored, medium length disheveled hair, small black eyes, wearing a light blue shirt, and khaki slacks walked into view.

The boy, Hiro, noticed the seven new faces in the diner before opening hours. "Ano, Sōma-Ani, are these the students from your school that'll be working here for the summer?" Hiro asked the blind redhead as he walked over to the group.

"They are, and they're going to be your kohai (4) while they're working here," Sōma said, still smiling, and asked, "You mind bringing Mayu her drink while you go get ready for the day?"

Hiro smiled and said "Sure," grabbed two of the glasses of juice, and headed upstairs.

The moment the boy was out of hearing range, Eizan snapped "Why the hell is that kid our Senpai?"

"Oh, Hiro's been working in the kitchen for about four years, thus he will be YOUR superior too," Sōma stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Come to think of i~t," Kobayashi said before asking Sōma "Why'd that kid call you Ani?"

With practically no hesitation, the blind redhead said "Oh, I guess both Mayu and I forgot to tell you, but Hiro is our younger brother. He's nine, by the way."

"YOU HAVE A YOUNGER BROTHER?!" was the unanimous response from the 7 Elites.

That was when the wall clock chimed 10:00 (AM).

"Oh, time to open up," Sōma stated before taking another sip of his drink and saying "Finish the juice and put the empty glasses in the sink, then get ready for the customers." Then he walked over to the diner's entrance to officially open it for business.

Nikiri Erina, Eizan Etsuya, Kinokuni Nene, Saitou Somei, Akanegakubo Momo, Kobayashi Rindou, and Tsukasa Eishi weren't really looking forward to that after all none of them knew how to deal with customers for a common diner. All seven took a glass each and started drinking it rather than just dumping the juice in the sink, mostly because they knew Sōma would easily detect the smell of the juice in the sink. To all of their surprise, the berry juice was actually really tasty and refreshing.

But before the Elites could really savor or figure out the reason why the juice was delicious, they heard the sounds of people starting to come in. 'But we just opened?! How is this place already half full?!' all seven of the Elites thought at the same time the moment they realized that half of the tables were already filled with customers of all ages and genders.

"Oi, Kinokuni-san, Tsukasa-san, Saitou-san, Akanegakubo-san, Kobayashi-san, get your pads ready to take the customers' orders," Sōma shouted across the diner, getting their attention.

"Oh, right," the five in question said before they downed the remaining juice, handed the now empty glasses to Erina, quickly snatched their respective pads of paper (the pads had their names written on them) on the nearby counter, and raced off to start taking orders.

Erina stared at the red-stained glasses in her arms for a bit before thinking sourly 'This is such an utter waste of my talents.' But the honey blond went to the sink and started cleaning the glasses anyway, mostly because she didn't want to give Mayu any reason to force her into the Spiked Uniforms.

Eizan picked up the pad with his name on it and flipped the pad to the next sheet of paper. What was written on that page made the 7th Seat turned ghost white and had a petrified look on his face. Erina noticed this and asked "Something wrong, Eizan-senpai?"

In a bit of a nervous tone, Eizan said "Ano, it's nothing," as he quickly flipped the first page to cover what was on the second page. The blond male started scooting away from the honey blond and said in that same nervous tone "I'm just... Going to start working on my, ano, part here. Ano, have fun with the dishes, Nakiri-san." With that Eizan was out of Erina's view. The honey blond raised a brow at this and wondered what was actually written on that pad.

That was when Hiro walked into the kitchen, in the Shokujidokoro Yukihira uniform, and started moving the cooking pans and pots onto the stove, readying them for the day. The boy said hi to his older brother when he entered the kitchen. "You ready, Hiro?" Sōma asked his younger brother, who replied: "Sure am, Sōma-Ani."

Once the orders started coming in, the Yukihira brothers started cooking.

}{

Eizan bit his lip as he walked into Mayu's "Computer Lab". There were at least four separate computers, each with two monitors.

"How the hell did you get ahold of That information?!" Eizan snapped at the brunette girl as she continued to type on the computer she was currently sitting in front of. "Oi! Answer me!" the blond snapped in anger.

"Oh, I got that information due to testing out a 'Program' I had to make for my Coding Class," Mayu explained as she continued typing on her computer, not taking her eyes off the monitor she was looking at, then added "The Headmaster did tell me to use it on a computer that wasn't used, so imagine my surprise when I found all that 'Interesting' data on it. Guess the Headmaster didn't know you were using it for personal use." Eizan glared at the brunette.

"Sōma told me about the "conversation" he had with you when you had your goons bring him to your office," Mayu said when she finally stopped typing and swiveled in the chair to face the blond second-year, and added, "And quite frankly, I agree with my dear twin brother."

A glare hit Eizan's glasses when he stated with a smirk "What's wrong with giving him the option to see again. I was hoping he would accept, I'm sure his cooking skills would improve tenfold if he had his sight restored. I would've paid for everything."

"You really don't get it, do you," Mayu said in a soulless voice as she rested her left elbow on the table.

"Eh?" was all Eizan could say

That was when Mayu asked, "Do you really think money will solve everything?" But the tone that was used, it seemed more like she was trying to make a point rather than asking a question.

}i{

20:05 (8:05 PM) at Shokujidokoro Yukihira...

Save for a few regulars, Shokujidokoro Yukihira was empty. Nikiri Erina, Eizan Etsuya, Kinokuni Nene, Saitou Somei, Akanegakubo Momo, Kobayashi Rindou, and Tsukasa Eishi were pretty much close to passing out where they were (which was pretty much them at one of the bigger tables in the diner). They were practically working the entire day, and none of them really thought about taking a break.

"Ano, are you guys really that tired already?" Sōma asked the tired seven elites.

Hiro then made the comment "I guess they're not used to working in a real kitchen."

"Honestly," Sōma sighed as he placed his knuckles on his hips and added, "I actually expected you guys to last longer than this, but now that I think about it, you guys should've taken your lunch break when I told you to." Right now the seven Elites didn't have any energy to really argue with their boss.

"Listen, how about eating something and rest a bit, Hiro and I will handle the first of the Night Customers," Sōma stated as he started whipping off one of the nearby tables. The seven Elites thought about what the blind redhead said for a second.

'Night Customers? What did he mean by that?' all seven thought at the same time.

"Ano, Sōma-Ani," Hiro pipped up.

Sōma turned an ear to his younger brother and asked: "What is it?" The boy looked at his older brother and said: "There doesn't seem to be as many customers in the Shopping District, especially since it's the busy hours." Now that the redhead thought about it, he didn't hear as many people today as he usually did.

Hiro then pointed out that the three depressed looking men sitting in the corner of the diner.

One of those depressed men was the co-owner of Tomitaya's Bento Shop and the Current Chair of the Market Street Association; Tomita Yuya.

When the chairman told the two Yukihiras about Mozuya Karaage in the nearby train station's shopping mall, which was renovated last month. When Eizan heard this, he smirked. Mayu saw this from around the corner from where she stood, hidden from sight. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I'll take a taste at that Mozuya tomorrow," Sōma stated with his happy-go-lucky smiles. Tomita practically shouted at the redhead why he wanted to do that. "Well, I'm a chef for one and I want to try their Karaage," Sōma stated with that smile still on his face, then added that he'll go tomorrow morning since he has to take care of the Night Customers.

That was when the seven Elites heard two people walk into the diner. They looked up to see a very miss-matched couple. The woman was tall, towering practically, with long black hair that was like a flaring wild mane that was barely able to be kept in a hair tie, gray eyes of a beast, wearing a ruby red blouse, and long purple slacks, while the man was of average height, short well kept black hair, cole black eyes of a moonless night, royal purple shirt with long sleeves, and onyx slack with polished black shoes. The seven Elites blinked and stared at the odd couple, wondering if they got lost or something.

"Good evening, Yukihira-kun," the man said in a smooth baritone voice.

Sōma took note of the voice, smiled, and said "Evening, Kōmori-san. I can assume Tairikuōkami-san is with you."

The woman snickered before saying with a wolfish grin "I am here, Sōma-kun."

Sōma grinned and asked in a cheery tone "The usual orders?"

The mismatched pair said "Yes, please," and found a table for two. The blind redhead turned to walked into the kitchen with Hiro, to prepare the odd couple's order. As Sōma walked by the table the seven Elites were sitting at, he told them that they didn't need to take the lovebirds' order.

The seven Totsuki Elite just stared at the mismatched pair as the two chatted happily. 'Yukihira called them Lovebirds... Does that mean that they're a couple?' the seven thought in unison. Erina looked at the well-kept man, then the wild looking woman. The honey blond couldn't believe the two were a couple and brushed it off as Sōma inability to see. At least, that's what she thought until she saw the mismatched pair kiss. Erina, as well as the other six, was utterly dumbfounded.

"Ano, you guys are going to catch flies if you keep your mouths open like that," Hiro said as he and Sōma walked by the seven, all of whom quickly closed their mouths.

The blind redhead placed two bowls in front of the mismatched pair and said "Your orders and as usual no spring onions and no garlic."

The wild woman, Tairikuōkami, cackled and said "And as usual, you remember every detail. Thank you."

The gentleman, Kōmori, chuckled and said: "We're always impressed that you remember every customer you've served and their preferences."

The blind redhead chucked and said "Well, what do you expect? I'm planning on taking over this diner one day." The odd couple couldn't help but smile at that and wished the teen luck on that.

The seven Elites just watched this, not really sure how to process what was happening right in front of their eyes.

"Mozuya Karaage? The take-home karaage place?" Tairikuōkami asked Sōma with a raised brow, snapping the seven Elites out of their thoughts.

The blind redhead nodded and asked, "Yeah, have you ever tried it?"

Kōmori shook his head and said "Not really, but it's more along the lines of "Can't" then "Won't" in all honesty."

Sōma blinked his unseeing eyes and asked: "They put garlic in their karaage?"

Tairikuōkami waved a hand and said, "That's kind of the problem, we don't know if they actually put garlic in their karaage."

The gentleman then added, "We've tried asking if there was garlic in the karaage, but they say they can't tell us anything because of their secret sauce they use for their karaage."

That was when the blind redhead said "Ah, garlic is a common ingredient in most sauces, especially when it paired with meats. No wonder you asked."

Kobayashi pipped in an "I don't get the big deal with the garlic, it makes stuff taste yummier."

The odd couple looked at the seven, then Sōma, and asked him at the same time "Who are they and why are they wearing you diner's uniform?" Sōma chipperly explained that his Pops agreed to allow some of the "Troubled but Gifted Students" at Totsuki to work in his diner as a summer camp.

"And those seven are apart of this Summer Camp?" Kōmori asked the blind redhead, who in turn nodded.

The wild woman gave the seven a cheerful thumbs-up and said: "Don't worry, Sōma-kun'll turn you guys into fine chefs." All seven of the Elites couldn't help but blink in confusion at the comment. Kōmori then said, "And to answer your question, miss, I can't eat garlic, it severely disagrees with my stomach, even a tiny bit can make me very sick."

Kobayashi stood up and asked in a very shocked voice "How can a yummy food make ya sick?"

Kōmori raised a brow at the question while Tairikuōkami asked in a tone that sounded like a mixture of suspicious and surprised "Don't they teach you about Food Intolerances and Food Allergies at Totsuki?"

Sōma answered "They do, but it's more of a lecture and test to prove that you went to the lecture rather than a class. It's one of those mandatory attendance lectures."

Tsukasa pipped up a "We attended, but Rindou slept through the whole thing... The teacher even scolded her, and she even slept through that..."

The odd couple and Sōma looked at the 2nd Seat (or turned in the direction of the sound for Sōma) with a rather shocked look on their faces. That was when the blind redhead asked in an uncharacteristically shocked tone "You actually slept through a critical lecture for the culinary industry? And considering that there are millions of people who are afflicted by food allergies and food intolerances, it's seriously bad if you miss that kind of lecture."

Everyone stared (or just have twitching eyebrows in Sōma's case) at the 2nd Seat of the Elite 10 when she said: "Wow, is it really that bad I slept through the boring lecture?"

Tairikuōkami looked at Sōma and said, "Please tell me that She *points at Kobayashi* doesn't have access to your kitchen."

"Oh no, she's not taking one step in MY kitchen until she can tell the difference between an Allergy and an Intolerance," Sōma stated, placing his knuckles on his hips while thinking 'Make that Three of them that need a lot of work.' The blind redhead sighed and then stated sternly "I know what I'm going to be telling the Headmaster later. Honestly, how you were allowed in a kitchen without knowing those is beyond me, and don't say because of your personality or cooking skills. Kobayashi-san, there is no way you're cooking in my kitchen now."

"Ya mean I can't Earn the Right, anymore?" the 2nd Seat asked in a bit of a childish tone, not really taking this very seriously.

Sōma then snapped angrily "NONE OF YOU ARE EARNING ANY CHANCES OF COOKING IN MY KITCHEN UNTIL ALL SEVEN OF YOU CAN PASS THE ALLERGY AND INTOLERANCE TEST!"

"Wait?! All of us?!"

"Yes! All of you! I'm calling the Headmaster now," Sōma stated, before turning to the customers in the diner and said "I am so sorry you had to witness such a thing. Please continue to enjoy your meals while I'm gone." As the blind redhead walked to the stairs to the Yukihira's living quarters, he told Hiro to man the diner.

Once Sōma was out of sight, Kōmori asked Hiro "He's still not over That, huh?"

The boy shook his head and said: "No, but don't worry about it too much, Sōma-Ani's still a great chef and he pays extra attention to that kind of thing." The odd couple nodded and said at the same time "We understand." They realized that they said the same thing at the time and chuckled at that.

The Elites glared at Kobayashi Rindou, who noticed and asked in a cattish tone "What?"

}i{ Summer Omake: Day 2, End }i{

~}i{~

(1); Whoever can correctly guess the name of the song first, can request what they want to happen in the Summer Omake.

(2); Putting this law in the story because I didn't want to make things too difficult for Sōma.

(3); The Japanese language uses a broad array of honorific suffixes for addressing or referring to people. These honorifics attach to the end of people's names, as in Lucy-san where the honorific -san is attached to the name Lucy. -San is equilivant to Mr, Ms, or Mrs. These honorifics are often gender-neutral; although, the honorific -chan is usually used to be cute, refer to girls, or used when referring to a childhood friend.

(4); Kohai is basically an Underclassman, opposite of a Senpai, which means Upperclassman.

~}i{~

 _ **Gale-Dragon**_ : The pot is stirring, and it looks like it is full of trouble. Looks like now I need to start work on chapter 8 on the double. Have a Happy Halloween fellow creeps and ghouls.


	8. 8: Selections for the Autumn Elections

**Gale-Dragon** : Hi everyone, chapter 8 is finished and I fixed some of the grammar issues (I'm pretty sure I still have some grammar flaws that flew under the radar). Also, I'd like to thank everyone who gave me all of their suggestions to help with finding a replacement for Microsoft 2010.

~}i{~

"Talking"

'Thinking'

(Author's Comments)

~}i{~

Shokugeki no Sōma Nashi Saito de Chīfu. Chapter 8; Selections for the Autumn Elections.

~}i{~

In the last chapter...

Erina then stuttered out with an utterly shocked look on her face "W-w-w-w-w-what th-th-the h-h-hell d-d-did you j-j-just s-s-say?!" Alice puffed her cheeks angrily and said: "You heard me." The Albino then walked up to Sōma, her footsteps were audible to everyone, and wrapped her arms around the blind redhead's right arm. Sōma was pulled off-balanced for just a moment before he catches himself with the cane in his left hand. Alice then said for all to hear "Yukihira Sōma will be supporting me as my husband when I become Head of the Narikiri Family."

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!" Everyone in the immediate area practically shouted at the same time.

Sōma's eyebrow twitched as his face was distorted with pure shock when he thought 'What the hell?!'

~}i{~ Now Back to the Story ~}i{~

Sōma yanked his arm away from Alice and said "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Rewind that! What did you just say ?"

In a casual tone, Alice said: "That I'm going to be head of the Nariki Family and that you'll be supporting me as my husband."

Sōma let out an audible sigh, rubbed his temple, and said in an annoyed tone "That's what I thought you said." That was when the blind redhead noticed he didn't hear anything from Erina and asked "Ano... Did the Bratty Princess faint or something? She hasn't said anything about this, which I'm sure she would have..."

Well, close... She was petrified where she stood, her face still distorted in that shocked look on her face. Erina could've easily been mistaken for a statue considering how still she stood. Hisako waved a hand in front of her face, trying to snap the honey blond out of it.

Sōma took a step away from Alice and said "Okay, listen, I'm not sure how serious you are about this whole marriage thing, but I'm telling you now, my family is NOT going to approve of this, heck I'm not even on board with your little proposal! Plus, I barely know you."

Alice smiled happily and said cheerfully "Oh, don't you worry Sōma-koi (1) we'll have plenty of time to get to know each other better~, especially after we wed~."

Sōma rubbed the back of his neck and said "Oh boy, looks like there's no changing your mind. Eesh, Mayu's going to be mega mad when she hears this." The blind redhead wasn't sure what to genuinely believe right now.

Erina finally snapped out of her shock and shouted: "What the hell do you mean by You being head of the Nakiri Family?!"

Alice puffed her cheeks and stated in a huffy tone "Like I said, I'm going to be Head of the Nakiri Family and you're not."

"There is no way in hell you're going to be Head, I am! I have the Perfect Pallet to be the next Head!" Erina screeched.

Alice waved it off by saying "God's pallet, God's Shmallet. Grandpa sent me a message and assured me that You haven't been behaving like the 10th Seat or the Nakiri Heir lately, so He told me to work hard because the position as Heir of the Nakiri Family might actually be mine."

"There's no way he told you that!" Erina snapped angrily.

"Miss Alice..." Ryō said, tapping the albino on the shoulder, trying to get her attention.

Alice brushed it off and continued arguing with Erina, "Yes way, he so did assure me!"

"There is NO WAY you're going to be the Nakiri Head! And you are Especially not bringing THAT inept chef into My family!" Erina practically screeched, her face lit with anger.

Alice smirked and stated "If I recall correctly, He hit the 200 servings mark waaaaay before you did. And he got over 400 servings in total. You barely got 300 servings by the end of the challenge, if I recall correctly." Now Erina was lit with rage.

"Miss Alice..." Ryō said tapping Alice on the shoulder, again.

And again, Alice brushed it off and stated in a childishly chipper voice "Face it, Erina, you've lost your edge, God's Pallet or not."

Erina practically screeched, "I have not lost my edge! That inept second-rate chef has been ruining everything for me!" and pointed an accusing finger at Sōma, only to witness a vacant space.

Both Nakiri looked at the space in confusion and said at the same time "Where'd he go?"Everyone but a certain seafood specialist looked around for the blind redhead.

Ryō spoke up by saying "Ano, Sōma-kun and his friends left when you two were arguing."

Alice stomped towards the ravenette and said in a huffy voice "Why didn't you tell us this sooner?!"

Ryō replied in a lackadaisical tone, "I tried to, but you were too busy arguing with your cousin."

Alice grabbed Ryō by the arm, dragged him off, and said: "Well, help me find my future husband then."

Ryō only replied in his usual lackadaisical tone "Okay..."

Erina was really fuming with anger. But she wasn't sure if it was from Alice being herself, or the blunt fact that Sōma wasn't even present during her seething of him. Probably the latter in all honesty.

}i{

The Polaris group, the Aldini Twins, and Ikumi walked into the Polaris dorm, where Daimidō was waiting for them with a big feast in the dining room.

"Oh, so Mayu-chan's going to be back here the day after next," Daimidō said, her arms folded and with a smile on her face.

Sōma nodded and stated plainly "Yes, mostly because she has to be on her school's campus for the results. * Happily, * So save some food for her, please." Daimidō was fine with that.

As everyone ate the feast, Ikumi asked Sōma "Are you sure you're alright with Alice practically proposing to you?"

Who could blame her for asking, it was a practically a weird thing to say, let alone witness it happen.

"Of course I'm not alright with it. Pops'll give her nightmares for a very time when he finds out," Sōma stated before shoving some of the food into his mouth.

Everyone gave the blind student a curious look and asked in unison "What do you mean by that?"

Sōma swallowed what was in his mouth and said, "Do any of you know the Overprotective Father trope?"

Everyone replied in unison "Yes."

Then Takumi asked, "Why? Is he one?"

Sōma sighed and said "Let's just say that Pops is ten times worse than that trope. *Sigh* He basically hunts down anyone who would give either Mayu or I a "Romantic" Valentine's Day card and do something to scare them out of their wits. One Valentine's Day we celebrated back in Jr High has actually been labeled "The Bloody Valentine's Day Massacre" because of him. It's also the reason why Mayu and I aren't really looking for romance at the moment. And that's why I needed to figure out if Alice-chan was actually serious about that proposal."

This information was painting a very "Interesting" picture of Sōma and Mayu's father. It's kind of frightening just thinking about... Now no one was sure whether or not they should actually feel sorry for Nakiri Alice or not... They really weren't.

~}i{~

"Well everyone, I'm waiting for an apology; although, I think you really should give Sōma-kun an apology as well," Isshiki said with that cheerful smile on his face. The 7th Seat had earned the right to completely rub it in the other Elites' faces, well some of them who actually deserve it.

Kuga cackled and said, "It's starting to become blatantly obvious that the Yukihira boy's got some pretty amazing cooking skills. Forget the fact that he's blind." Megishima remained quiet as he scanned the paper in front of his hand. The 3rd Seat had to admit, the dishes Yukihira Sōma made seemed to be all the rave with the staffs.

Tsukasa read the transcript from the Hell Camp out loud, "He got one of the highest marks on his Day One Assignment. He serves 423 dishes during the 200 Dish Assignment. Also, the Alumni chosen for the Hell Camp have yielded nothing but favorable reviews... While he may not have much of a record here, he seems to have more cooking knowledge than the average first-year Totsuki student... It'll be foolish Not to elect him for the Autumn Elections..." Isshiki still had that smile on his face, pretty much expecting this outcome.

Tsukasa made it official, Yukihira Sōma is officially selected to compete in the Autumn Elections.

Erina vocalized nothing this entire conversation. Despite the fact that she completely and utterly protested the fact that the blind redhead was even selected for such a prestigious competition. The reason for this was whatever she would have said for this meeting would have completely fallen on deaf ear.

~}i{~

A few days after the end of the Hell Camp, Isshiki-senpai told Megumi, Sōma, Ibusaki, Marui, Yuki, and Ryoko were chosen for the upcoming Autumn Elections. A total of 60 out of the remaining 628 first-year Totsuki students will be participating in the Autumn Elections. Isshiki also explained that the Autumn Elections were the first step to the top of Totsuki.

}{

Sōma was walking back to the Polaris dorm after his last class of the afternoon concluded. Mayu currently at Polaris because she had a vital, mandatory test she was required to undergo from the computer she had set up at the dorm.

Sōma was wondering what kind of ingredient restrictions there would be during the Autumn Elections. 'Perhaps I should start practicing some new recipes this evening,' Sōma thought before he heard some rustling in the nearby bushes. From the sound, it sure didn't sound like anything that could be considered a woodland critter.

"Yukihira Sōma?" the blind redhead heard someone asked.

Sōma's eyebrows narrowed when he asked in a suspicious tone, "Why do you want to know?" Something felt funny to the blind student as he heard about four, no, five separate sets of footsteps as the other students surrounded him.

"Come with us," one of the students stated.

Sōma tapped his cane and asked, "And if I refuse?"

}{

Eizan adjusted his collar in front of the reflective window. While he knew that his "Guest" was blind, he was not slacking-off on his appearance as a businessman.

Eizan heard the door open.

The 9th Seat turned to the door as he said: "Ah, here you are Yuk- What the hell happened to all of you?" Eizan saw that all of his minions had injuries all over their persons. Half of them had black eyes and one seemed to be limping.

Sōma stood in the middle of the minions and stated "Eizan-senpai, next time you send people to "Pick-up" someone; either tell the person so they know they're coming or tell the people to tell the person that you want to talk to them. I kind of thought they were attempting to kidnap me when they wanted me to go with them, so I "Defended" myself."

Eizan blinked, pointed at the blind redhead, and asked in an uncharacteristically bewildered tone "You did all that damage?"

Sōma then replied in a calm tone "Yes, and I do have a black belt so I can defend myself. Just so you know for the future."

That did clarify a few things...

Eizan quickly regained his composure and said "I'll... Keep that in mind, please have a seat."

"I'll stand," Sōma stated plainly, before asking in an annoyed tone "So what do you want?"

"Ah, you want to get right to the point," Eizan said with a smirk. The blind redhead huffed in annoyance, really wanting the other to just get on with it.

"Yukihira-kun," Eizan stated, making sure the redhead was paying attention. Then the 9th Seat said, "Ever since you arrived here at Totsuki, you've single-handedly taken the first spot among the first-year students. You practically set a new record for the 200 servings Assignment for the Hell Camp. And you've been able to win over the majority of the staff here at Totsuki."

"Is there a reason why you seem to be telling me things I already know?" Sōma stated, nearly snapping at the upperclassman, and just wanting him to get to the point.

With a smirk still on his face, Eizan said "What I'm saying is that you're an amazing chef. You even managed to outrank Erina in during the 200 Servings Challenge. Although from what I've read in the reports, she seemed to have underperformed in all of the assignments even though she passed them."

Sōma scoffed and stated with a slight growl, "That was one of the consequences of her choice." Eizan had raised a brow at that before he continued, "I'm sure you can manage to join the Elite 10 with some more effort."

"Can you just stop with the buttering job and just tell me why you dragged me here for?" Sōma snapped, his unseeing eyes seem to really pierce anything before them, almost like a ballista. Eizan felt a chill go down his spine when he saw that.

The 9th Seat then said, "I guess what I'm saying is that you're amazing, but I can't help but think that you could be even better if you were able to see."

In a serious tone, Sōma asked: "What are you getting at Eizan-Senpai?" But it seems like the blind redhead already knew what the other was implying.

With that smirk still on his face, Eizan said "Through some of my "Connections", I know some skillful doctors who are well known for restoring eyesight."

"You seem to assume that I lost my eyesight rather than being born blind," Sōma stated, really starting to understand what the other wanted.

Eizan adjusted his glasses and said "I've done some research into your school life before Totsuki. You lost your sight when you were 6-years-old."

Sōma tensed up at that before saying "Alright, I lost my sight. So what are you trying to "imply", Eizan-Senpai?" But it seemed like Sōma already knew what it was.

With an even wider smirk, Eizan said "I can help you get one of the best doctors to restore your sight. You don't have to worry about the cost. I'll cover it."

Sōma then stated, "While that is rather generous of you, but I'm going to decline." The blind redhead then turned to exit the office.

Eizan quickly called out, "Oi! Wait a minute! You're not going to think about this?! This is an enormous opportunity for you to see again!"

Sōma stopped and said, "I already did and I'm still declining." Eizan needed a plan, and fast if he wanted the redhead to work for him.

"Don't you want to see your sister's face? Or your friends'?" Eizan asked with a smirk. Sōma's hand just stopped short of the door handle.

The 9th Seat thought he had the redhead until Sōma stated coldly "Eizan-Senpai, just stop. There's no amount of money or anything you can say that will ever bring my sight back."

Something was off here... This didn't sound like the "There are no such things as Impossible if you set your mind to it" Yukihira Sōma.

"It seems like you didn't do enough research, Senpai," Sōma stated coldly before leaving the office, then slammed the door shut. Everything inside the office shook at the sudden vibrations.

For once Eizan Estuya's life, he hadn't a clue how he failed this challenge of recruiting someone to work for him.

}{

Sōma stormed down the corridors, in an incredibly foul mood.

This was extremely unusual for the normally upbeat redhead.

'Rotten bastard!' Sōma thought angrily as he continued his way. He was frightening some of the other students halfway out of their wits when they saw the rage-filled look on the blind redhead's face. Sōma continued to seethe as he thought 'Like hell would I would accept something like that! Going through my past like that! He had absolutely NO right to do that! Especially with the motivations he had!' The thing that Sōma hated the most was the memories that the 9th Seat carelessly dredged up.

~Flashback, Sōma & Mayu, Age 6~

Little Sōma wasn't sure if he was unconscious or not since everything was completely dark. But, all Sōma could focus on was his twin sister calling out, "Onii-chan (2)! Onii-chan!"

"Wait! Mai-chan! Don't pull that out!" another voice, it sounded like a woman's voice and she sounded like she was in pain.

"Why? It's hurting Onii-chan," little Mayu said in a teary voice.

The woman said, "I know it's hurting Sō-chan, but pulling it out without medical training will hurt him even more!" To Sōma, the tone sounded like a mixture of worry and trying to make a child understand something that was above their understanding.

'What are they talking about?' Sōma wondered. He wanted to ask them, but for some reason, he couldn't get his voice to do so.

"OI! Someone call an Ambulance! Hurry! This child has a severe injury!" the woman's voice called out in a grunt of pain.

~End Flashback~

Sōma bit his lips before thinking in anger 'That rotten money loving bastard!' He stormed outside. The wind blew a bit, making the blind student's burning red hair sway a bit. 'I'm starting to wonder if Isshiki-Senpai is the sole person on this Elite 10 who actually has a moral compass,' Sōma wondered, trying to calm himself down. Well, he'll find out during the Summer.

~}i{~

The last day of class before the Summer (and the Summer Job Omakes)... Teachers passed out First Semester Report Cards... And students fidgeted with anticipation for the long-awaited Summer Break, or grudgingly awaiting their Summer Job in the case of Seven of the Ten Elites. However, the last day before Summer held one more meaning at Totsuki, especially for the first-year students.

All of the current 628 first-year students gathered in the courtyard of Totsuki, in front of a giant billboard that was covered by a humongous cloth.

On this day... The chosen participants for the Autumn Elections are formally announced.

The cloth was removed from the billboard to reveal the 60 first-years that have been selected. Those 60 names were split into two groups of 30, aptly named A and B.

The Aldini Twins were on the list. Mito Ikumi made it too. Tadokoro Megumi made the list, much to the poor girl's nervousness. Nakiri Alice and Kurokiba Ryō made the list too, but that seemed to be expected considering how Alice was acting.

Alice was about to jump on Sōma when Mayu shoved her out of the way before the albino could. "Stop with that immature behavior of yours," Mayu snapped in annoyance, not the least bit amused by Alice's antics. That was when Alice and Mayu started their glaring match. The Polaris group and the Aldini twins did try stopping it but failed.

"Ano... Is Yukihira Mayumi a Totsuki student?" Ryō asked an annoyed looking Sōma, who replied with a raised brow "No, but she does have special permission to be here. Why do you ask?"

"Her name is on the list, right before your name," Ryō answered lackadaisically as he pointed at the board (more for the others to see than Sōma). This, in turn, caused everyone (but Sōma) to turn to the billboard to see if the seafood specialist was telling the truth.

Right there, over Sōma's name was the name Yukihira Mayumi.

"Oi! Was there a glitch when establishing the lists?" Mayu asked when she recognized her name.

Yuki scan the list and asked, "You think they made a mistake?"

Ryoko mumbled a "But that's a pretty colossal mistake to overlook..."

Isami then asked, "I'm pretty sure a Totsuki staff member would've pointed that out." Takumi agreed with that statement and suspected something bigger at hand.

After counting all the names, Alice then said, not in her pretending tone, "Huh? There are 61 names if you include Mayu-chan's name... I mean... There are only supposed to be 60 names of the first-year Totsuki students, and * Directs her attention towards Mayu * no offense but there's no way you should even be on this list."

"None taken, and for once, I agree with you," Mayu stated sourly.

Before anyone could put in another word in, someone said over the PA System, "Ladies and Gentlemen!"

The next thing the first-years knew, there was a crane lifting a box with a person in sed box and smoke emitting from the edges of the box. "Good afternoon!" the girl in the box said into the microphone in her hand.

Sōma already seemed to recognize who it was when he asked his allies "What is that annoying MC doing here? Making such a ruckus?" Mayu was just wondering why she needed a crane to tell people something.

Urara then said in her cutesy tone, "Your hostess for all things Autumn Elections, I'm... Kawashima Urara * Poses and winks cutesy *." The majority of the male students was cheering happily while the majority of the female students were seething.

"What is she doing?" Sōma asked rather cluelessly, not really sure why he heard a crane, a faint sound of a fog machine, and two very different reactions from the students. Yuki told him not to really worry about it too much.

Urara then continued her announcement, "Congratulations to all the students chosen to participate in the Autumn Elections! You'll receive your formal notifications in the mail in a few days… But let me give you all a quick overview of how the Autumn Elections competition will work! As you can see by looking at the bulletin board… The 60 chosen students have been divided into two equal blocks called A and B. The first stage will be a preliminary competition between all of the students in each block. Those who place the highest in both blocks A and B… Will officially participate in the main torments!" With that, all of the students cheered and excitement.

'60? But Alice-chan had just counted 61 names... Something smells fishy, and I don't mean that tuna smell from Ryō-kun's person,' Sōma thought suspiciously.

Urara pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket to read and said into the mic "Okay, next... I have a message to all of you from the tournament organizer, Eizan Etsuya, the 9th Seat of the Elite 10." Sōma clenched his cane a little tighter.

Urara then announced, "To all chosen students… The Autumn Elections draws many VIPs and stars of the culinary world as guests. This is your opportunity to showcase your skills. * The first-year student started yammering a little bit between one another * But... * the student stopped talking * keep one other thing in mind… If you present an inferior dish on this grand stage, your potential career as a chef could come to a screeching halt. Good luck to you all. Okay, that's all! Bye-bye!"

While that did explain a lot... But the question that was still unanswered was why Mayu's name was on that list?

}{ About Two Minutes Later }{

"Yikes! Really?" Mayu stated when she heard from Alice that Erina was completely banned from working on anything relating to the Autumn Elections.

Alice nodded and stated, "Yup, grandpa was super mad with Erina for her actions during the Hell Camp. I'm not 100% sure what happened, but even Chapelle-Sensei was upset with her too."

"Hang on, what exactly happened?" Takumi asked, knowing full well that it took a lot to actually make The Chef-Who-Never-Smiles that angry at a single student.

"She sent me towards a different hall during the announcement for the 200 Servings assignment," Sōma finally said in an annoyed tone.

"WHAT?!" the Polaris group, Aldini twins, Mayu, Mito Ikumi, Alice, and Ryō (who was uncharacteristically surprised) shouted in the same shocked, bewildered, and 'What-the-Hell-?' tone. Any of the first-year students that stood nearby only turned to the shouting just to see who was.

"That clarifies her comment after the announcement!" Takumi stated, eyes still wide in shock.

"How could she even do such a thing?!" Ikumi asked, still not 100% sure with what she just heard.

Mayu folded her arms and hissed out "Oh, that "Princess" is not cooking one thing in Our kitchen. I don't care what she can cook up." Sōma assured her sister that here it set a reminder to notify him that Erina's job would be washing and gathering the dishes.

Alice got all huffy when she stated, "How dare she do such a shameful thing to MY future husband!"

Knowing that he was getting a little too angry for his own liking, Sōma took a deep breath to try to soothe himself. 'Cinnamon?' The blind redhead thought when he smelt a faint scent of cinnamon sticks.

"Well, we know one thing," Ikumi stated snapping Sōma out of his thoughts. The Meat Master then stated, "Summer is going to be nothing but practicing new dishes for us for the Autumn Elections."

"Easy for you to say. I have to oversee the diner, and Mayu has her Summer Project from her school," Sōma said as he remembered that the Yukihira Twins' father was out of the country for the Summer.

Mayu then added, "So depending on what the Mandatory Ingredient is, we might have a problem on our hands."

Yuki had that look of realization on her face when she said, "Wha! That's right! But... These elections are super critical! Do you think both of you can run the diner, work on that project, AND work on a dish for the Autumn Elections?"

"We'll think of something," the Yukihira Twins said in unison.

Somehow, no one really surprised by that response.

}{ Somewhat at the Same Time }{

Daimidō hung a big banner that read ' Congratulations Autumn Elections Participants ' over the dining room. She was happily vacuuming the dining room. Since it felt like the Golden Age of Polaris has come again.

The doorbell suddenly rang.

Daimidō stop what she was doing and went to answer the door.

When she opened the door, she immediately recognized who it was. In a tone that was a mixture emotion, Daimidō said, "Sheesh! If you're coming for a visit, and you could at least give me a call ahead of time to warn me!"

Then, looking at the person with gentle eyes Daimidō stated, "You haven't changed a bit. No manners or sense whatsoever."

"You haven't changed either, Fumio-san. How's it goin'? I was in the area, so I thought I'd come by. I'm home," Yukihira Jōichirō said with a cattish grin.

~}i{~

To Be Continued...

~}i{~

Omake: Summer Job for the "7 Elite Seats". (This is still a work in progress title, and is open to suggestions)

}i{ July 4; Summer Job Day 3 }i{

14:20 (2:20 PM), Shokujidokoro Yukihira...

While Sōma was off to taste Mozuya Karaage, the 7 of the 10 Elite were taking a certain Allergy/Intolerance Test (Supervised by Yukihira Mayu of course)... Okay, in truth, they already underwent the test and Mayu just finished grading their papers... (this will be interesting).

With an anger mark on her forehead, Mayu growled out "I have to admit, I'm actually surprised by this." She had six sheets of papers one of her hands and one piece of paper in the other hand.

Erina flipped her hair and said with a 'Full of Herself' smirk "Oh, please, we're the Elite 10 of Totsuki. This sort of thing is really easy for us." Mayu watched as the other Elites completely chilled and not all that concerned about the test they just took.

"I would actually call that impressive IF all of you actually PASSED the test, that is," Mayu stated before slamming the papers onto the table that the 7 Elites were sitting at and revealing the grades on the papers.

"Do you actually think these numbers are considered passing grades?" Mayu snapped angrily at the 7 Elites, not the least bit amused. The Elites who got their papers only had to look once before realizing that the Nakiri heiress spoke waaaaay too soon.

"What the Hell?!" Erina shouted, looking over her grade for the Allergy/Intolerance Test, a perfect 0%. Eizan also got a 0%. Kinokuni got a 47%. Akanegakubo got a 42%. Tsukasa got the highest of the failed scores with a 55%. Kobayashi, somehow, managed to get a -10%.

"Before you all start complaining, I checked them all Three Times, those are your grades. Honestly, just how incompetent can you guys be about this, especially since it's a critical thing in the food industry? Some "Elites" you are," Mayu stated in annoyance, before holding Saitou's paper in front of him and saying calmly "You're an exception, Saitou-san, you passed."

The 5th Seat took his paper and looked at the grade written in red ink, as he did the other Elites looked over his shoulder to see what he got. It was a 97%. The other Elites gave the 5th Seat a look that practically screamed 'How-the-Hell-Were-You-The-Only-One-Who-Passed-?' Mayu then stated calmly "Saitou-san, you got all the answers right, but spelling counts, and you did misspell " Lactose." Other than that, you passed the test with flying colours."

"Mayu-Ane (3), I finished the board," Hiro said happily, walking into the dinner with a large board under his arm.

Mayu looked at her younger brother and said: "Perfect timing, I just gave everyone their grades."

"Did any of them passed?" Hiro asked curiously, looking up at his sister.

Mayu said with a sigh, "Only Saitou-san, everyone else failed miserably."

"Eh? Just one? Really? But they're Totsuki students... I guess I was expecting too much from them, huh," Hiro said with a disappointed sigh. Mayu then helped Hiro with hanging the board on a nearby wall.

Akanegakubo watched the two Yukihira then asked: "What's the board for?" Mayu and Hiro moved out of the way, so the Elites could see what was written on the board.

From what the Elites could see, the first column had all of their names on it, and the top row had something written in each cell. "Entry", "Allergy/Tolerance Test", "Work Ethic", "Customer Service", "Kitchen Rights", and "Pass" were written neatly in each of those cells. A gold star was stuck in the column under 'Entry' on all of the names. Mayu told the Elites

"Since this will be easier for you guys, this board will show what you have passed and where you stand in Shokujidokoro Yukihira." Mayu then placed a gold star on the cell under the "Allergy/Tolerance" column and in the row with Saitou's name.

Hiro smiled and told the sushi master "Looks like you now have a chance to work in the kitchen Saitou-san." The 5th Seat only nodded at that.

Mayu glared at the other Elites and stated: "I'd suggest the rest of you use this upcoming weekend to study for the Allergy/Intolerance Test, considering how poorly you all did."

Those six glanced at each other. Tomorrow will be their first official off-time from Shokujidokoro Yukihira, to do with as they pleased, but did they genuinely want to squander it studying for a test? Tsukasa, Akanegakubo, and Kinukuni looked at their grades again and concluded that maybe it was a good idea to do so. Since this was rather unbecoming of any of the Elite 10 of Totsuki to fail in anything in cooking or food. Not to mention the implications that could happen if the other Totsuki students find out about it.

"I'm thinking you failed us on purpose," Erina stated crumbling her piece of paper. There was no way in hell she believed the female Yukihira actually graded these papers fairly. Eizan adjusted his glasses and agreed with the Nakiri.

Kobayashi seconded the motion and added, "I mean, how else would I have gotten a Negative 10%."

Mayu sighed and stated "Fine, I'll give you three a quick oral test. You all can verbalize your answers, but I'm telling you now, it's not going to change your grades." The three agreed to undergo the oral test.

Hiro walked up to Tsukasa, Akanegakubo, Saitou, and Kinukuni and said: "This should be interesting."

Quick Oral Test: Begin!

Mayu: "What is Celiac Disease?"

Erina flipped her hair and said, "A type of allergic reaction." Eizan folded his arms and said, "Allergen immune to EpiPens." Kobayashi grinned wildly and said, "A yummy ingredient in cheese."

Mayu, Tsukasa, Akanegakubo, Kinokuni, Saitou, and Hiro's reaction: "..."

Mayu: "Name one common Food Allergy?"

Erina flipped her hair and said, "Low-grade foods." Eizan stated, "Unsensitized food." Kobayashi happily said, "Yucky food."

Mayu, Tsukasa, Akanegakubo, Kinokuni, Saitou, and Hiro's reaction: "..."

Mayu (rubbing her temples in aggravation): "What are the alternatives to anything with Lactose?"

Erina flipped her hair and said, "Eating cashews." Eizan stated, "Consuming a meat-free diet." Kobayashi happily said "Eating yummier food."

Mayu, Tsukasa, Akanegakubo, Kinokuni, Saitou, and Hiro's reaction: "... *All at the same time* You three weren't even remotely close to being right on any of those."

Well... It was now very clear why those three did so very poorly on the test. (... Can those three really be THAT ignorant of food allergies and food intolerances?... Well, they DID get zeros and a -10%, on the test... Hold on. How did Kobayashi acquire a -10% on that test?)

"I'm back~," Sōma said happily as he walked into the diner with three package boxes in hand. He then added, "And take a wild guess on who I ran into at the Mozuya Karaage. Although; I'm pretty sure it wasn't a coincidence."

"Yo~" a familiar voice rang out.

}i{ Flashback }i{

Sōma walked into the in-station mall, it was bustling with the sounds of people coming and going. The blind redhead used his cane to help navigate his way towards the Help Desk near the front of the mall. " 'Scuse me, could someone help direct me to Mozuya Karaage?" Sōma asked the person behind the desk.

"Sōma-Koi~"

Sōma paused at the sound of the recognizable voice, then the next thing he knew he was jumped on by someone. That person then grabbed a hold of his left arm and started nuzzling his shoulder. "Alice-chan? Why are you here?" Sōma asked in a bit in an annoyed tone. Ryō only gave a lackadaisical hello not caring what the albino was doing. Sōma sighed and asked, "Shouldn't the two of you be preparing for the Autumn Elections?"

Ryō then replied in a lackadaisical tone "The same could be said about you."

"I have a Diner to run," Sōma stated sternly as he tried to ignore Alice snuggling with his arm and then asked, "What's your excuse?"

Alice happily chirped out "I wanted to spend some time with my future husband~."

"And Ryō-kun's here because?" Sōma asked, not really awaiting a reasonable answer.

"Oh, I told Ryō-kun he had to come. He doesn't mind, though," Alice said happily.

Sōma wasn't too sure about that when he asked: "So both of you have Curry Dishes for the Autumn Election?"

Alice said pretty quickly, "Yup."

Ryō, on the other hand, didn't really respond to the question, but he did ask, "I don't think you're going to get any ideas for curry here, so why are you here?"

After the explanation as to why Sōma was here. Alice, of course, decided she wanted to help and dragged Ryō along for the ride as she brought Sōma to Mozuya Karaage. She said something along the lines of not letting Her Future Husband lose his childhood home. The blind redhead did mention that the street market wasn't in THAT much trouble.

"I hear a lot of women here," Sōma said as he, Alice, and Ryō walked into the store, then asked, "Is there a special deal going on?"

"Oh, you don't know?" the albino said before explaining that Mozuya gets packed at the mealtime hours and that "It is especially popular with young to middle-aged women because of their take-home packaging, which is totally fashionable by the way. Plus many train commuters go out of the way just to stop by the station so they can come in for Mozuya's Karaage."

Sōma placed a hand on his chin and said: "I get it because the location of the shop they can get many customers relatively easily and quickly."

Ryō glanced at the waitresses in their cutely designed uniforms and thought 'Those are probably another reason why people come here.'

Next thing the trio knew, they were greeted by Nakamozu Kinu, Mozuya's Karaage CEO.

"Hello~, and welcome to Mozuya's Karaage~, would you like to try a free sample of our much talked about Karaage?" Nakamozu urged them as she held out a Bento box full of freshly made Karaage.

Alice beamed when she said "Like, don't mind if I do," and took a toothpick of the sample. Ryō did the same.

Sōma just asked, "Ano, could one of you hand me one of the samples?"

Nakamozu noticed the white cane in the redhead's hands and asked: "Are you blind, young man?"

Sōma gave a nod and said, "I am, so if it's not too much trouble, would it be all right for you to hand me the sample?" The slit-eyed woman thought nothing of it and carefully put the toothpick sample in the blind redhead's fingers.

The trio ate their samples, and a burst of flavors filled their very being. The flavor was so mighty, it felt like their clothes were ripped off their very bodies by a barrage of delicious arrows being fired at once.

"Wow, this is really delicious," Alice said with a smile on her face. Ryō's expression didn't really change when he said it was good.

Sōma opened his unseeing eyes and said: "You use Oumi chicken breast, right?" Nakamozu was relatively surprised by that. The blind redhead then added, "And you use soy sauce based marinade, I can also taste some apple, grated I think, and a good number of spices in that sauce, you then thoroughly coat the chicken in and then fry it up to a crispy texture, but I'm thinking you do it carefully because it the crispiness taste pretty light."

Nakamozu was even more surprised by that when she said "My, my, young man, you've got a good tongue on you. How'd you know we used we use Oumi Chicken?"

"I have a really good food memory. I can memorize a taste after eating something once," Sōma said with a bit of a smile.

Alice looked at the blind redhead and said: "Oh, right, you mentioned that during the 200 Dish Challenge, or rather, you mentioned you ate Hollandaise sauce before." Sōma nodded at that.

"200 Dish Challenge?" Nakamozu wondered as she fanned herself with her hand fan, then asked them "Say, are you kids go to Totsuki?"

Alice grinned happily and said in that same cheery tone "Yup, we sure are~. All three of us~. *Wrapped her arms around Sōma, and in a very cheerful tone* I can't wait to tell our children, that's how we met~." Sōma looked like he really wanted the albino to stop this stuff. Ryō didn't genuinely care what was happening.

The CEO dropped her hand fan, then asked with a completely shocked look on her slit-eyed face as she pointed at Sōma "Wait, you mean you're attending Totsuki? Blind kid?"

"That's correct, I'm attending Totsuki," the blind redhead said calmly as he could with the albino hugging his arm the way she is.

Pulling away from Alice, Sōma told Nakamozu "Anywho, I would like to buy a Karaage family dinner box, please. It'll be a nice treat for my siblings back at the Diner."

Alice was genuinely shocked at this and asked "Sōma-koi, are you really buying some? This place is practically closing the street market!"

"Ano, Miss Alice," was all Ryō got out before Alice shushed him.

"While I'm not thrilled with this place," Sōma said in a plain tone and then stated, "There's nothing wrong with taking home something for the family once-in-a-while." Alice and Ryō had to admit, there was really no fault in what Sōma was saying. Then Sōma said in a completely calm yet slightly menacing tone "Besides, I need some comparing samples so I can make my Karaage better than Mozuya's." Nakamozu embraced the challenge.

"So can I get that Karaage family box, please? Oh! Actually, can you make it three? For my employees. I almost forgot about them for a minute," Sōma said in a humorous tone as if he didn't declare anything to antagonize the CEO. Nakamozu wasn't sure if she should really consider the blind redhead a legitimate threat or not.

}i{ End Flashback }i{

"Oh, so You're here, how lovely..." Mayu growled out in annoyance as she glared at Alice.

The albino glared back and said in her mocking cheery tone that actually hid the fact that she was as aggravated as Mayu, "I know right. What a total coincidence."

Hiro only sweatdropped and asked his older brother "Ano, what happened between them?"

Sōma only answered, "I'm not really sure I should tell you since you're still a kid..."

Ryō then added "I agree. * Looks at Hiro * Who are you?"

"I'm Yukihira Hiro," the boy said before asking "Who are you nii-san?"

"Kurokiba Ryō," the lackadaisical teen said, before asking Sōma "You have a younger brother?"

The blind redhead replied with an "Obviously," before telling his sister and Alice to break-up their glaring battle. The two huffed and turn their backs to each other.

Alice then noticed Erina, in her diner uniform. The albino giggled and said with a bit of a mocking tone, "Wow, Erina~ you're looking good~." The Nakiri heiress wasn't enduring any insult lying down. Well, she would've until Sōma stepped in.

"Listen, both of you. I don't care who starts a fight, but I will eject BOTH sides out of the diner if need be. And that will also mean you're not going to get paid for the day, understand Erina?" the blind redhead stated sternly, eyebrows narrowed in aggravation. Both Nakiri could tell the oldest Yukihira was dead serious and quickly ceased their usual banter.

Sōma took a deep breath, calming himself down a bit, and placed the three sealed packages of Mozuya's Karaage onto a nearby table.

}{

"Can you really make a better Karaage then Mozuya's?" Eizan asked, but judging by the tone he was using, he knew something.

While making a sauce base for his Karaage, Sōma stated "Their Karaage is indeed delicious. But, their main selling point is their sealed packaging and the fact that you can reheat the Karaage when you get home."

"He does have a point," Ryō stated in his lackadaisical tone, before slurping his bowl of shrimp Raman that he ordered off the Yukihira menu (and paid for with his own money).

Alice then piped in, "That is true, the sealed packaging avoids the smell of the Karaage from bothering the train passengers."

Mayu glanced at her twin and stated: "I take it you're not going in that direction."

Sōma smirked and said "I'm planning on making a more practical "Packaging" for Yukihira's Karaage." Mayu had an Of-Course-You-Are look on her face, while Hiro happily cheered that his big brother can do it.

Saitou said with a raised brow "While I douth admire thou for taking up such a challenge. But doth thou have'th to work on Curry Dish for the Autumn Elections? This inquiry tis not just for Yukihira-kun." (Saitou seems to talk with either a slight Shakespearian tone or an old-fashion samurai. I'm just guessing on that from how he talks in the manga).

Alice happily stated, "I already have my dish ready~. Ryō-kun has a dish too." Ryō simply slurped his noodles, not even bothering to comment on whether or not the albino was right or not.

Sōma smirked and stated, "I was wondering when one of you was going to bring that up."

Mayu waved a hand and said "Sōma's a pretty brilliant person. He can work here at the Diner while working on his Curry Dish."

Tsukasa then nervously stated "B-but! On top of this Karaage challenge! That's a lot! Isn't that too much for you to accomplish? Especially since you can't see?"

Sōma placed his first test Karaage dish on a plate and said sternly "You don't need working eyes to see what can be accomplished or not." It was clear that statement had a double meaning to it.

Sōma placed that plate of Karaage in front of Alice and Ryō and urged them to try it, so they did.

"It's good! Really good!" Alice said with a smile.

Ryō then stated in his usual lackadaisical tone "It's good, but not as impactful as Mozuya's."

That was when Sōma stated "I had a hunch that would be the case. Mozuya probably marinates their chicken in their sauce for about nine to ten hours, maybe more along the lines of the latter. But since I'm just testing recipes out, and the fact that this is a diner, I'd rather not have to test something that'll take that long."

One of Eizan's eyebrows twitched as Kinokuni asked "How'd you know they marinade their chicken for that long? I'm sure they wouldn't have hinted something like that."

Sōma then added "Consider it a hunch. And I'm sure they also wouldn't disclose the fact that they add garlic in their marinade. * In a tone of realization * Oh, that reminds me, I need to tell Kōmori-san about that. Hmm, I think I can manage to make an alternative sauce for him with my Karaage."

"I don't blame you for that since he can't eat garlic... But in my particular opinion, Karaage Onigiri with some mozzarella is the best kind of Karaage out there," a new voice from the entrance way. Everyone but Sōma looked towards that direction to see a teenager around their age with gray hair (despite his age) sleepy gray eyes and wearing a high school uniform while carrying a brown bag on his left shoulder (4).

"Oh, it's you, Cheese-Otaku (5)," Mayu said with a giggle. The gray-haired teen rolled his eyes at the coment.

"Oh, Yoshi, are you here for your Four Cheese Usual?" Sōma asked the gray-haired teen who simply replied "Pretty much, oh, make it a double portion. My club activity was intense, and I'm starving. * Takes a seat at an empty table * Why are you talking about Karaage anyway?"

"Mozuya's Karaage, Sōma-Ani's going to make a better Karaage then theirs to bring people back to our market," Hiro stated happily.

Placing an elbow on the table and resting his chin on his hand, the gray-haired teen, said "You'll be able to do it easily. In my opinion, Mozuya's Karaage isn't all that good."

Mayu snickered and said, "I take it they don't have an option to add cheese to their Karaage."

The gray-haired teen shrugged and said with a yawn "Well, that and I don't like the whole "Eat it When You Get Home" thing that Mozuya does. It's really inconvenient for us, students, after the school clubs, especially when we're starving after some of the more intense activities..."

With that, a spark of an idea lit up inside Sōma's brain 'Students! The After School Clubs! Location! Rice! Walk while you Eat! That's IT!'

"Mayu-Ane, Sōma-Ani has that smirk on his face," Hiro stated when he glanced at his brother. Alice and Ryō (The seafood specialist was still slurping his noodles, btw.) briefly glanced at the blind redhead. The Seven Elites could only eyes one another in plain confusion not really sure what the hell that meant. The gray-haired teen only yawned.

"Yoshi! I'll cook your dish right away. Saitou-san, you mind gathering some cheddar, swiss, mozzarella, jack cheese, and some nori wraps from the fridge for me while I get started on the ravioli," Sōma stated as he wrapped his white scarf around his forehead.

Saitou raised a brow at this, but he complied with the request. The sushi couldn't help but think 'Four kinds of cheese, nori wraps, and ravioli? What sort of dish tis this suppose to be'ith?'

~}i{~ Later that Night ~}i{~

Erina was tossing and turning in her bed. The dream she was having was just... Well... In her opinion... It was a nightmare... Take a look.

~ Erina's Dream ~

Sōma's dorm mates, friends, and the three other Elite Ten who wasn't working at Yukihira somehow found the diner and they were enjoying themselves.

"Wow, this ravioli is pretty superb," Takumi said as he cut into his dish. Isami happily agreed with his brother.

Erina wondered how Italian food got on the menu.

"Sōma, Pop's going to be here soon," Mayu instructed her twin brother. Sōma grinned and stated "Perfect, I got his favorite cooking." "Oooooh, I get to meet my father-in-law~," Alice said happily as Ryō lackadaisically agreed.

Erina put a plate of a chocolate cake roll on the table Isshiki, Kuga, and Megishima sat at. 'Wait, when did this get on the menu?' the honey blond wondered. Hisako was playing the guitar in the corner. 'How long has she been playing that?' Erina thought in confusion.

"I'm home~" a voice from the entrance.

Erina froze. She recognized that voice!

"Pops!" Mayu, Sōma, and Hiro said in unison as they rushed towards the man in the entrance.

Erina slowly turned to the new voice.

Saiba Jōichirō was standing there, hugging the three Yukihiras happily. "You three running my diner well?" the man asked happily, seeming to already know the answer. "Diner's doing fine, Pops," Sōma told the man happily.

'POPS?!' Were the words that echoed through Erina's head.

~ End Dream ~

Erina bolted awake with a shout.

After a minute or so of taking some deep breaths, Erina finally calmed down. 'It was just a nightmare,' Erina told herself. She pulled out the picture of her when she first encountered her idol Saiba Jōichirō from its hidden spot inside the cookbook she inevitably had with her. With an Of-Course-that-Couldn't-be-Possible look on her face, Erina thought 'There is no way on Earth That abomination could Ever be related to my beloved Saiba-sama. It was just a terrible nightmare, nothing more.'

(If only she knew).

~}i{~ Two Days Later: July 6; Summer Job Day 5 ~}i{~

After their time off of Yukihira, the 7 Elites came back to the Sumiredōri Shopping District to observe it bustling and booming with people. A complete 180 from the last time they were here. The businesses were filled to the brim with customers.

"Wh-what happened?! This place was practically dead last time we were here!" Erina shouted, not believing her eyes. The blond Nakiri was really hoping that the shopping district would close down and that she wouldn't have to work at Yukihira's diner anymore. But fate seems to have a cruel sense of humor.

Mayu appeared in front of them and snapped "About time you guys got here. Get to Yukihira's NOW. We have a hoard of customers and we need all hands on deck." The Elites quickly complied and trailed her, after all, None of them wanted to get on Yukihira Mayu's evil side (so they wouldn't get shoved in those "Spiked" uniforms).

}{

Well... Now the 7 Elites knew why this market was packed. A Sumire Original Karaage Wrap made by Sōma, Mayu, Hiro, Alice, and Ryō at Shokujidokoro Yukihira.

The Sumire Original Karaage Wrap had chicken thigh meat cut into big, thick chunks. Those chunks are marinated in a marinade featuring soy sauce and cayenne pepper (an idea that was surprisingly from Ryō). The marinated chicken is then fried, twice. Then it is wrapped in lettuce leaves, other leafy herbs, and then wrapped in the special, freshly cooked thin rice wrap. Then sprinkled with some "Secret Chili Sauce" (garlic-free, so Kōmori-san could eat it). And finally, the wrap is branded with the Sumire Market logo.

It was a major hit with everyone. Even Nakamozu Kinu, Mozuya's CEO, was a victim of the deliciousness of the Sumire Original Karaage Wrap.

Now the Seven Elites had even more work on their plates. Pun intended.

~}i{~

After closing, at 22:10 (10:10 PM) everyone was just cleaning up.

"Alright, the last chore of the night," Sōma said out loud as he placed the last bit of perishable item in the decomposition bin.

"Bringing the decomp to the fertilizer pile," Mayu said with a sigh.

"Not it!" the Yukihira Twins said at the same time.

"Not it!" Alice said added.

Ryō then raised his hand and said in his lackadaisical tone "Not it..."

After realizing what was going on, Tsukasa and Saitou quickly shouted/said (respectively) in unison "Not It!"

Akanegakubo realized what it was and said "Not it. Bucchi not it too."

'Decomp?' Erina though, before finally realizing what it meant and shouted in unison with Kinokuni "Not it!"

Eizan just raised a brow at this whole thing, not completely aware of what they were actually doing. "What's going on?" Hiro asked as he walked into the area, he completely avoided the whole thing and was clueless about the situation.

"Seems like Hiro and Eizan are tied for Decomp duty," Mayu stated as she folded her arms.

"I smell a cook-off happening, after all, it's a tradition here," Sōma said with a slight snicker.

Saitou raised a brow and asked, "Thou doth have'th Shokugeki here at Yukihira?"

"Well, Pops did graduate from Totsuki. We figured that he just brought that here when he opened this diner," Mayu said with a shrug and wondered if any of these "Elites" would notice what she meant.

That was when Sōma added, as if it wasn't really that big of a deal, "Besides, it's a fun, nonviolent, way to solve disagreements or arguments here. Some of our customers join in for judging."

"Speaking of which, who's going to judge the Shokugeki between Hiro and Eizan? You and I can't do it; Hiro's our younger brother and will call in nepotism," Mayu told her older twin brother.

Sōma then said, "Good point, we need a judge, or judges, who don't have much of a connection to either Hiro or Eizan."

"I'll be a Judge~," Alice said happily as she raised her hand.

With a sweatdrop on their heads, the Yukihira twins stated "No offense, but we're pretty sure you'll vote for Hiro."

"Pretty much," Ryō said, not really caring if he did get on Alice's bad side. Alice gave a childish pout. Looks like her plan to get Sōma to cherish her via declaring his kid brother the winner of the cook-off was ruined.

A yawn captured everyone's attention.

Everyone turned to the sound to see the gray-haired, gray-eyed teen from a few days ago.

"Cheese-otaku? What are you still doing here?" Mayu asked the sleepy-eyed teen. '

How'd we miss him?' The Seven Elites wondered as the teen yawned again before saying as he rubbed his tired eyes, "I guess I dozed-off..." Mayu mumbled an "Obviously."

With a sly smile, Sōma asked the gray-haired teen "Say, Yoshi, would you judge tonight cook-off?" The sleepy-eyed teen flat out declined.

Mayu then said with a sly smirk "The Main Ingredient is going to be cheese." The gray-haired teen then agreed to be the judge. Absolutely, none of the Totsuki students knew what to really say about that.

Sōma then turned his attention to the two contestants for the cook-off by saying "Alight, Hiro, Eizan, as you heard the primary ingredient will be cheese. And you can use whatever is in the diner, provided that you clean up after yourselves, and you can use whatever theme you want. However; considering that it's late. The time limit for your cooking time will be 30 minutes, so make a small dish. The winner doesn't have to deal with the decomp pile."

"The cook-off will start once both of you collect all your ingredients," Mayu said as she thumbed the pantry. Hiro nodded and took off to gather the ingredients he would use. Eizan just walked, he wasn't worried about the outcome of this "Unofficial Shokugeki", so to speak. After all, Eizan Etsuya was the 9th Seat of the Elite Ten, there was no way he could lose to a nine-year-old boy that only had some cooking knowledge.

Once the two gathered their ingredients, Akanegakubo asked the Yukihira twins "Wait a minute, Momo thought we had to "Earn the Right" to cook in this kitchen? Why are you letting Eiz-nya use the kitchen for this Shokugeki?"

"For these Shokugeki, we're just going to let that rule slide. Since it is a bit pointless to have a cook-off when one person can't use the kitchen," Sōma stated as he set the timer for the Shokugeki (using his phone via voice control).

Mayu then stated sternly, "But only for the cook-offs got it." Well, none of the Seven Elites could deny that logic.

"You two ready?" Sōma asked, getting ready to start the timer on his phone with his voice. Both Hiro and Eizan said "Ready." Hiro in a cheerful tone while Eizan in a more laid-back tone. The 9th Seat still had no legitimate worry about this cook-off.

Sōma started the timer and declared "BEGIN!"

And with that, the Shokujidokoro Yukihira Cook-off (You can call it a Diner Shokugeki if you want) between Yukihira Hiro and Eizan Etsuya began as the two started their cooking.

Eizan glanced at the boy's cooking station. More along the lines of confirming he didn't really need to put too much effort into this quick dish than anything else. He saw the boy seemed to be making some sort of soup with tomatoes. 'Tomato soup? Really? The main ingredient is supposed to be cheese, not tomatoes. Then again, he IS a child after all,' Eizan thought as he continued with his dish. All the 9th Seat really had to worry about what making sure the oven was set to the ideal temperature to cook his dish properly.

The gray-haired, gray-eyed teen only watched the two with sleepy eyes.

}{

When the 30 Minutes were up, Eizan served his dish first.

Eizan placed the plate in front of the gray-haired teen and said with a smirk that practically beamed that he was not worried "Enjoy my Gougères. It's better known as French Cheese Puffs."

The gray-haired teen looked at the Yukihira twin with a raised brow. Mayu then said honestly with a shrug, "Well, we didn't say it had to be an original cheese dish for this Cook-off. So it'll be accepted."

The gray-haired teen muttered an "All right," before eating one of the puffs. After chewing, then swallowing, the gray-haired teen announced his verdict, "Well, it IS one of the best cheese puffs I had."

Erina snagged a cheese puff off the plate and popped it into her mouth. To the honey blond, the cheese puff tasted like an elegant evening party in Paris (She was describing this out loud, btw).

With a sweatdrop and a raised brow, the gray-haired teen said "Ano, if you say so. * Mutters * Weirdo." Erina seemed to into the flavor of the cheese puff made by a fellow Elite 10 to notice the comment.

Mayu and Alice pretty much snickered at the honey blond's lack of reaction, while Sōma sighed in disappointment in the honey blond's mannerism. 'I wonder if she'll ever learn some of her "Habit Ingrained Behaviors" aren't going to be well received here?' The blind redhead wondered to himself, before settling on the idea that Erina is going to learn this the hard way.

Hiro placed his dish in front of the gray-haired teen. It was a thick grilled cheese sandwich cut in fourths and a small bowl of tomato soup. The gray-haired teen placed a knuckle to his chin and said "Oh? This is considered a pretty classic pairing, but it's a perfect one, nonetheless. * Picks up one of the slices of the grilled cheese pieces and inspects it * Oh? There's not just cheese in this."

Hiro then happily said, "Correct, but the only way to find out what those are."

The gray-haired teen nodded before taking a bite out of the grilled cheese sandwich with a crunch. After chewing, the gray-haired teen realized what else was in the sandwich, "Chickpeas and spinach!"

Hiro smiled and happily said, "Yup. I wrapped the chickpeas in a couple of relatively thick spinach crepes, then carefully placed them between the cheddar cheeses before I grilled them together in the bread."

The gray-haired teen then looked at the tomato soup and asked "I take it there's more to the soup than just tomatoes. * Sniffs the aroma of the soup * I smell a hint of cheddar in the soup." The gray-haired teen then dipped a side of the sandwich he hadn't bitten into the tomato soup before taking a bite of that side. Now the sleepy-eyed teen was wide awake, when he said, "I was right! You did add the cheddar to the tomato soup, but you also added a pinch of black pepper and a small amount of pureed garlic for a nice kick!"

Hiro smiled at that. The gray-haired teen offered some of the grilled cheese to Erina, who in turn, flat out refused.

The gray-haired teen finally made his choice for the winner of this Cook-off. However; the reason for him choosing the winning dish really had nothing to do with taste, even though it played a considerable part.

}{

Eizan held his breath as he brought out the bin for the compost.

'How the hell did I LOSE to a child?!' Eizan thought bitterly as he dumped the decomposable in the compost. The 9th Seat pinched his nose at the sudden surge of the rotting odor.

}{ Flashback }{

"I choose Hiro-kun's dish as the winner," the gray-haired teen stated as he tapped the plate the grilled cheese sandwich sat on.

This dumbfounded all of the students from Totsuki (minus Sōma).

Erina then snapped, "Why the hell would you choose some unrefined brat's dish over a decadent dish made by a member of the Elite 10?!"

The gray-haired teen glared at the honey blond and stated in a cold tone, "Listen, Weirdo, I don't know or care to know what this Elite 10 thing is about, but I'm the judge of this Cook-off so its My decision is what matters here. And last time I checked, you are not some "Professional" Taster, that you seem to be portraying yourself as. And from what I've seen, you are completely biased in your opinions and you don't even try anything that you deem "Below" anything High Classed. Which might I add is NOT Professional. You're nowhere near being even a decent Taster, heck, you can't even tell the difference between a thoughtful dish and a thoughtless dish."

This was a major blow to Erina's pride (and I'm talking about a KO kind of blow, on a big scale.).

"What do you mean by that? The Thoughtful Dish thing?" Alice asked curiously, real curiosity, not a pretend curiosity. This time, Alice decided not to pester Erina. Since what the gray-haired teen said really seem to hit the honey blond harder than a straight on collision from a cement lorry, and Alice was no bully. Someone who'd poke fun at something seemingly minor, yes, that's Alice, but she Does know when to draw the line when it comes to teasing.

The gray-haired teen pointed at the two dishes and asked "Ignoring who made each dish, which one seems more thought-out as a meal within the 30 minutes given? And be honest." Alice and Ryō looked the cheese puffs and then the stuffed grilled cheese with tomato soup.

After looking back and forth between the two cheese dishes, Ryō stated: "The grilled cheese, because it's more filling."

Alice carefully dipped her right pinky into the soup and tasted it off her finger. She then said "The tomato soup is also well thought out, especially since garlic can easily overpower other ingredients if you just toss it in without much care or thought. * Then looks at the cheese puffs * And now that I think about it... Gougères are mostly a snack that's mostly served with wine." Ryō wondered if the gray-haired teen knew that already, considering he had been given the nickname Cheese-Otaku by Mayu.

The gray-haired teen then stated, "While I was telling the truth about those cheese puffs being some of the better ones I've tasted, but in the greater scheme of things. It seemed like the chef making them either didn't put any effort in this Cook-off or severely underestimated his opponent to the point of barely even thinking of a proper dish." With that last sentence, the gray-haired teen seemed to glare at Eizan through his sleepy eyes.

}{ End Flashback }{

After Eizan got out of range of the smell, he thought 'Okay, maybe I didn't put any real effort into that dish... And I guess I shouldn't have underestimated Yukihira's kid brother as much as I did... Considering how Yukihira cooks I should've really expected that his kid brother would cook like him.' That was when an idea struck the money-loving Elite 10 member's brain. 'Maybe I can use that kid to get Yukihira to my side,' Eizan thought with a smirk.

Unbeknownst to Eizan, Mayu was glancing down at him through her window (that just so happened to face in that direction). Her eyes narrowed at the 9th Seat, knowing full well what that smirk could mean.

}i{

Erina was hugging one her pillows to her chest, thinking about what that gray-haired gray-eyed teen said about her not even being a "Decent" Taster and was completely biased. Her! A Nakiri with the God's Palette! And he even called her a.. a.. Weirdo!

'Come to think of it... What does this "Weirdo" word even mean?' Erina thought in confusion.

In all honesty, being called a Weirdo seemed to be the thing Nakiri Erina couldn't understand the most. (... Not really sure if I should really categorize that as sad or pathetic.).

~}i{ Summer Omake: End }i{~

~}i{~

1) The suffix -Koi is basically a term of endearment for a lover. Usually used by really lovey-dovey couples (but it's their choice whether or not to use it in public). As you probably figured, Alice is basically claiming Sōma as her lover/future husband.

2) Onii-chan does mean Older Brother in Japanese, but it is only used when the person using the "Onii-chan" is really close to the person it is addressed to. It's also typically used by children.

3) Ane is the respectable Japanese word for Elder Sister.

4) Try and guess who this is and which Anime he's from. A Summer Omake request will be awarded to the first person who gets it right.

5) Otaku is basically Japanese for a young person who is obsessed with computers or particular aspects of popular culture to the detriment of their social skills.

~}i{~

 **Gale-Dragon** : Okay... The Summer Omake ran a bit longer than I wanted, but it came out all right. And if there are any guesses to this chapter's trivia, write it in the comment box and I'll message you if you are correct or not. Also, thanks again to everyone who helped me find programs to replace Microsoft 2010.


	9. 9: Father and Spice Can Turn the Tide

_**Gale-Dragon:**_ Well, I got this chapter done. Hope I was able to weed out a lot of the grammar errors; although, some of the grammar error is perposeful because of how some of the characters speak. I do know a few accedential one slipped under my radar... But anyway Enjoy.

~}i{~

"Talking"

'Thinking'

 _Emphasizing Stress_

(Author's Comments)

~}i{~

Shokugeki no Sōma Nashi Saito de Chīfu. Chapter 9; Father and Spices Can Turn the Tide.

~}i{~

The Polaris group returned to the dorm with very mixed feelings. While they were utterly ecstatic that the majority them made the list for the Autumn Elections, learning that it was Nakiri Erina who tried to sabotage Sōma during the Hell Camp was really sandbagging the high spirits. Plus, the whole enigma of Mayu making the list was another reason that downturned mood.

So the real question for the group was "Should we be Excited, Angry, or Confused right now?"

Isshiki-Senpai greeted everyone happily, in Just his apron and completely unaware of the sorrow-like aura around them, when he said "Welcome back, everyone! According to Fumio-san, were having a party tonight. C'mon, let's all had to the dining hall." This bit of news brightened the mood. After all, Fumio's celebratory meals are to die for.

"Oi, Senpai, is there be a reason for a non-Totsuki first-year student to be on the list for the Autumn Election?" Sōma asked the second-year student as everyone headed towards their destination.

Isshiki still had that smile on his face as he raised a brow and asked, "Why would you ask a question like that? Only first-year Totsuki students can participate in the Autumn Elections. If a non-student were to be at the Autumn Election, they would be spectators in the audience, not as participants."

Mayu folded her arms and stated, "Then how come my name was on the list for the Autumn Election? Which has a total of 61 names on it by the way."

Isshiki's smile twisted into a stern and serious frown when he asked "What? That shouldn't have happened."

"It happened," the Yukihira Twins stated in unison. Isshiki now had a look on his face that gave a clue that he might know who was behind this whole thing, even if he had no real proof. THAT was something Mayu didn't miss.

When the group entered the kitchen, a man who might be in his late 40s - early 50s, with brown hair which is swept back, save for a single group of bangs that hangs over his face down to his chin, a few whiskers of a beard on sed chin, and wearing a tight black short-sleeved shirt and slacks standing there cooking food.

The man casually glanced at the Totsuki students, spotted Sōma and Mayu, and asked "Ah, Sōma, Mayu. You're back. Give me a hand with this, ?"

The Yukihira Twin nodded and said "Sure," in unison.

The man chopped something on a table and said "Mayu, take care of the rest of the prep work on the soup for me. The stock's already done."

Mayu nodded and said "Sure."

The man then said to the blind redhead "Sōma, could you start with the sauce? I have everything out for you to use."

Sōma stated, "Sure... *Now in a tone of sudden realization* Wait a minute..."

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Sōma shouted at the man. That was when Mayu realized what was going on and snapped at the man as she pointed at him "We started helping out on pure muscle memory?!" Fumio raised a brow and asked the twins "You two know him?"

Megumi, curious to know why there was a complete stranger in the dorm, asked in an equally curious tone, "Ano... Who is he?"

Fumio sighed and stated, "He's a Totsuki Alumni and former resident of Polaris."

Yūki shouted in the background "TOTSUKI ALUMNI?!"

Fumio huffed out and explained "Sheesh. That's a generation gap for you. Kids nowadays don't even recognize Saiba Jōichirō. He's one of the former First Seated Gemini Chefs of Totsuki."

All the Polaris residents were paralyzed with pure shock when they heard this. Well, all but two...

"Oh, Sōma, Mayu, the rice is nearly done steaming," Jōichirō said, seemingly not completely aware of the conversation going on right next to him.

The Yukihira Twins then shouted angrily at the same time "SHADDUP! JUST TELL US WHY YOU'RE HERE, DAD!"

Shock just bulldozed Fumio and the other Polaris residents down when they shouted in unison "THEY'RE RELATED?!"

}{

At the same time, and on a completely unrelated note...

Erina was laying on her bed, board out of her mind. Hisako was busy working on ideas her own dish for the Autumn Elections and Erina had no work for the Elite 10 she had to do. Due to the fact that all of the current Elite 10 work was for the Autumn Elections, and the honey blond was banned from working on sed event. Erina could do some tasting for some new dishes for a couple of 5-star restaurants that have asked for her help, but Hisako was usually the one to bring her those requests... Maybe she could ask one of the family help to see if there were any.

Erina got to her feet to leave her room when one of the house staff knocked on the door and told her that her grandfather wanted to talk to her.

Erina tilted her head to the side and wondered what her grandfather wanted to talk to her about.

~}i{~

Back to the Polaris Dorm...

"Seriously Pops, you really should've called first," Sōma stated flatly as Jōchirō placed plates on the dining table with a smile.

The man glanced at his children and said: "What's wrong with wanting to see my twin cherubs?"

Mayu turned red and snapped "Pops! We've told you a million times to stop calling us that!"

Sōma continued on his sister's comment by saying as he folded his arms "Seriously, we've outgrown that nickname, both figuratively and physically."

Jōchirō smiled at his twins before looking at Fumio and state, "Besides, I'd figured dropping by my old dorm would be fun." The Dorm Mother gave a huff.

Isshiki, still just wearing his apron, walked up to the former 1st Seat and said, "I have read about you in some of the older material, Chef Saiba Jōchirō." The man raised a brow and asked, "Oh? You've heard of me?" Isshiki nodded and stated, "The famous "Wandering Chef" who dazzled customers with his skills in all of the best restaurants around the world! It's said that no magazine of the time worth its salt hadn't been able to accurately run one article on him. But one day, you disappeared from the culinary world. Only those who've actually lived through or have read some of the Totsuki records." The 2nd-year student shook his hand and said "My name is Isshiki Satoshi. I'm the current 7th Seat of the Elite 10. It's an honor to make your acquaintance, Chef Saiba."

Jōchirō returned the handshake and said, not particularly fazed by the state of undress the student was in, "The pleasure's mine. Oh, and I go by the name Yukihira these days. But you all can call me Jōchirō though."

Yūki and Ryoko were simply amazed by the fact that the older man wasn't the least bit fazed by the fact that there was a nearly naked person standing right in front of him.

Jōchirō stood up and stated, "Now, before we begin our lovely feast, I have just one question for everyone here." Once all of the members of the Polaris Dorm had their undivided attention on the Alumni, the man then asked in a rather menacing tone, "Who here has any romantic interest in either of my adorable little cherubs?" Suddenly, Jōchirō had one of his sharpest kitchen knives in his hand; an evil aura engulfed his person, and a menacing light gleamed in his eyes.

With that, the Polaris Dorm members remembered that Sōma had told them that his and Mayu's father was Worse than the Overprotective Dad Trope.

"Now, now, don't be shy. I'm not going to hurt you, much," Jōchirō stated in a menacing tone as he motioned with his index finger for the students to come closer as he held the knife out. The Polaris group only took a step back.

Mayu had snatched the knife (by the base, not the blade) out of her father's hand before Sōma jabbed him in the back with his cane. "Why is THAT always the first thing you ask when you first meet our new schoolmates?" Mayu asked as she took the knife to the kitchen. That was when the Polaris group realized that Mayu was holding the knife with a handkerchief rather than directly with her hands. Odd, why would she take out a handkerchief to hold a knife?

Sōma whacked his father over the head with his cane and stated, "Both of us know to defend ourselves from unwanted attention, remember. So, get that through your thick skull."

"What's wrong with wanting to protect my twin chubs from unwanted admirers?" Jōchirō asked with a childish cheer. The Yukihira Twins could only sigh when their father told the Polaris Dorm to dig into the food.

Megumi and Yuuki were still in a bit of shock from learning that Sōma and Mayu's father was a former Totsuki student, not to mention the former first seated Gemini Chef of the Elite 10, and the... 'Almost' act of violence. But all those feelings just completely melted away with one bite from one of Jōchirō's array of dishes that were spread on the table. That one bite had Megumi and Yuuki flying on a magic carpet over the Arabian landscape. Both could not suppress their amazement for how good the food was.

Megumi happily asked Jōchirō, "Chef? What is the paste that's been spread on this lamb meat?"

The Totsuki alumni answered by saying, "That's Harissa. Originating in northern Africa, it's a blend of different peppers used to season all kinds of dishes. Since I used it as a base for some traditional middle-Eastern dishes, I tweaked the recipe by adding some parsley masala." More questions about the dishes came his way after they have been eaten, Jōchirō calmly answered each of those questions. This whole thing made Ryoko, Yuuki, and Megumi wonder if Sōma would ever grow up to be like Jōchirō (minus the whole Overprotective Father Trope, of course) as they dreamily (and discreetly) glanced at the blind redhead, who was just munching on some foodstuff. Even Isshiki had to admit that while Jōchirō's overprotectiveness of his children might have startled them, one bite of the alumni's cooking made them open their hearts to him.

This amazingly blissful moment continued until Marui bit into a particularly disgusting dish.

Jōchirō happily laughed and said, "Ah! That was my attempt to re-create one of the snake dishes I tried last month. You wouldn't believe how disgusting it was. See, you take the snake and hack it up, skin and all." Mayu sighed at this as her brother joined their father in the "Yukihira Forbidden Zone", as the other Polaris members called it. But, it looked like Jōchirō and Sōma having a blast, even if the food were completely disgusting in both appearance and taste. (I don't really know how else to describe the scene as, so I'm just writing it how it appears to me).

"Oh, Sōma, Mayu," Jōchirō said, getting his children's attention, before asking "I heard Gin was overseeing the Hell Camp and the Application Assessment Camp. Was he professional during that timeframe?"

Sōma casually said, "Yeah, Oji-san was professional during the Totsuki camp."

Mayu followed up by saying, "And he was professional during the Gijutsu Saidai Academy camp."

Then the Yukihira twins said at the exact same time "Except when the camps reached their end. *Sigh* he threw a party for each of us for passing our respective camps."

Exactly 5 seconds after thinking 'Gin?...' The members of the Polaris dorm shouted at the same time, "Wait! Are you guys talking about Dōjima Gin?!"

The three Yukihira then replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the entire world, "Yup, we're talking about him."

Ah! Now at the Polaris numbers thought about it... Fumio DID mention that Jōchirō was a Gemini Chef… And in all technicality, Dōjima had that very same title; therefore, the two 1st-seated Gemini Chefs HAVE to know each other. It was so obvious now that they thought about it.

Wait a minute…

Yuuki then asked in a tone that seems to be a mixture of shock, confusion, and 'Can't Be', "Sōma, when you called Dōjima-san "Oji-san"… Do you mean that…"

"He's our godfather," Mayu stated in a very casual manner as if the information wasn't exactly earth stoppingly important.

With that, every member of the Polaris dorm, minus the Yukihiras, were solidly still. Almost as if the Gorgon Medusa suddenly appeared just to turn them to stone.

"Ano... Is everyone alright? It got quiet all of the sudden," Sōma asked when he realized that the celebratory party somehow came to a screeching to a halt.

~}i{~

With Erina...

"You wanted to talk to me, Grandfather?" Erina asked as she entered the Tea Room of the Nakiri estate. Senzaemon glanced at his granddaughter and told her to take a seat (or a pillow in this case). Erina did so by sitting across the table from the Headmaster of Totsuki.

Senzaemon took a deep breath and said, "Erina, I'm sure I don't have to tell you, but it seems as though I HAVE to because of all your actions. *Gives Erina a serious look* Sabotaging a fellow student? I cannot be More disappointed with you. It matters not if he IS blind or who You are. Sabotage is sabotage, no matter who the target may be or who the saboteur is. What you did was NOT right."

Erina quickly piped up, "But, Grandfather!" Senzaemon then snapped, "No Buts! And No Excuses!" The honey blonde quickly shut her mouth closed at the command.

The headmaster closed his eyes and firmly stated, "While I am aware of the root of your *sigh* 'Unsavory Behaviors', the rules of Totsuki are what pushed both I and the Totsuki Board to inevitably make our decision for your punishment." Erina lowered her head, not because she was finally felt ashamed of her actions during the camp but because she was being scolded by her grandfather.

Senzaemon sighed and said in a strange combination of a stern tone and his loving grandfather tone, "Erina... What that rotten man did to you was inhumane, immoral, and disqualifies him for even being called a *Sourly* "Father" to you or anyone. *Back in the Stern and Caring tone* And I do not want to follow the same horrible path he did."

Erina's eyes widened. Was she… Was she… Actually becoming like… Like… HIM?! The man who "Educated" her God's Pallet?! She actually hasn't thought about it before, but then again… HE made it very clear that HE was the one who was to have power over her, that only HE knew what was "Right" for her, that HE knew what kind of food was "Perfect", and that HE would do all the thinking for her… All the food judgment for her… All the decisions for her… All the… Actions that she has done… Erina lowered her head again, now actually rethinking all of her actions for once.

"Erina," Senzaemon said getting his granddaughters attention before adding, "While I am aware that old habits die hard, trust me on that one, but you need to change those behaviors before they inevitably become the very thing that will destroy you. And I truly think that working at Yukihira-kun's Diner will help you with that, understand?"

Erina was very silent. Not because she didn't have anything to say, but because she had nothing to say.

~}i{~ The Next Morning ~}i{~

Sōma wasn't sure what time it was, all he knew was that it was Early (exactly 5:30 in the morning according to his phone) when Jōchirō asked him to join him in the kitchen with his knife ready over the pipe intercoms of the Polaris dorm. The blind redhead sleepily gathered his knife set, pretty much brushing off the early alarm was because his father wanted an extra pair of hands to make breakfast for everyone. As soon as he had all his knives in his metal briefcase and grabbed his cane, Sōma went on his way to the kitchen, with a few yawns here and there. He was still too tired to really think about why his father was back from overseas so soon.

Sōma heard the familiar sound of cooking as he got closer to the kitchen. When the redhead walked in, Jōchirō immediately greeted him.

"Sōma, may I be so bold to ask how you're doing here at Totsuki?" Jōchirō happily asked his son, not the least bit fazed by the predawn hours. Sōma yawned before asking groggily, "Pops… Please tell me you didn't wake me up this early just asked me that?"

Jōchirō smiled softly before saying, "Nope, I got a really good reason to wake you up this early, but while I have your undivided attention, I might as well ask you this."

The Sandman still had a slight hold over Sōma when he said, "The curriculum's all right, but it does have some flaws that could use some tweaking. I pretty much destroyed the teachers' expectations of me, but I think Chapelle-Sensei never made any assumptions about me. Everyone here in the Polaris dorm is friendly. I've also met a pair of twins who also work in a diner but in Italy. I've also met this weird first-year was an expert in molecular gastronomy and her friend who specializes in seafood. Oh, and Nikumi, who specializes in meat."

Jōchirō raised a brow in concern when he asked, "And what about the other students Outside of the Polaris dorm?"

Sōma growled out a, "They apparently never read the section in the Totsuki handbook about Student Courtesy."

Jōchirō immediately stopped what he was doing. "Has anyone..."

The man couldn't finish the question before his son interrupted by snapping, "At least four times a week prior to the Hell Camp, after the Hell Camp the sabotaging dropped to twice a week, and I was sabotage during the Hell Camp. I, of course, threw it back into their faces while obeying the Totsuki Rules."

The next thing Jōchirō asked, in a bit of a frantic concerned tone, was, "Have those students been dealt with?" Who can blame him for asking? He was a father concerned about the well-being of his blind son. Not that Jōchirō had to really worry about Sōma's blindness itself, but he had to worry about others' actions towards Sōma because he was blind. And sadly, this was nothing really new, but it was still not pleasant for the father to hear that these things are still happening to his son.

"Of course they have. Between Mayu recording the classes and the teachers themselves, they pretty much get caught in the act. They might be decent chefs, but they are hardly skilled in the art of stealth," Sōma said, the Sandman's power no longer has any effect on him.

Jōchirō then asked carefully, really wanting some details, "And the student, or students, who sabotaged during the Hell Camp?"

Sōma scoffed in annoyance and snapped, "That Bratty Princess should have is known better, doesn't matter Who she is." Jōchirō didn't need Any other hints to know who tried to sabotage his son during the Hell Camp.

Jōchirō placed his kitchen knife onto the countertop, placed both of his palms on to that same countertop (within a safe distance from the knife), and said in a relatively shocked tone, "Nakiri Erina sabotaged you during the Hell Camp?"

While the older Yukihira did keep in contact with Nakiri Senzaemon, he hasn't contacted the old man since the day before the scheduled Friendship & Team Building Cooking Camp aka the Hell Camp. So to put it simply, this information might as well be a fresh bullet wound in the arm to the former Gemini Chef.

"Pops..." Sōma said, getting his father's attention, before saying in an uncharacteristically saddened tone as he lowered his head, "I wish I could tell you that she did it by accident, I really do. But she knew what she was doing, where she was sending me, and knowing full well that I was going to miss the announcement for the 200 Servings Challenge. And… I just can't trust her. And I am definitely not trusting her with any of the customers back at the diner..."

Jōchirō placed a soft hand on his son's shoulder and said in a lovingly fatherly tone, "I understand Sōma. I understand. May I ask what you are planning to have her do during the summers she'll be working at the Diner?"

The blind redhead took a deep breath and stated, "Gathering and cleaning dishes. That's all I am having her do until she can prove otherwise, and I still can't feel like I can trust her with even that task." Jōchirō understood, there was no way Sōma could trust Erina after that. And now, neither can he, even after he showed her the joys of cooking...

Jōchirō shook away those memories. He needed to cheer his son up, ASAP.

"Sōma, are you keeping your knives sharpened?" Jōchirō asked Sōma, who replied after taking a deep breath, "Of course I have. I sharpen them the night before last until my whole room smelled like sharpening stone."

The former Gemini Chef smiled before saying, "Great. Now, sorry to spring this on you, but I wanna see the progress you've made since coming to Totsuki. Right here, right now." Sōma could feel the aura radiating from his father, edging them on to accept the challenge.

Jōchirō knew for a fact that his son was happiest when he was cooking, so of course, a little cooking contest would be the best medicine to brighten the mood. Besides, he was going to challenge Sōma to one of the first place, it was why he woke them up so early.

Sōma bared his teeth in amusement as he excitedly accepted the challenge.

Jōchirō had already asked Fumio to be the judge for this challenge.

Isshiki also appeared in the kitchen, without anyone really noticing and surprising everyone there. He insisted that he'll also join in on judging the Shokugeki. But now there was a problem, you can't have an even number of judges for any official (or unofficial in this case) Shokugeki. They needed another person to be a judge, but who else would be up at this hour?

That was when they suddenly heard the fridge door open. Fumio, Isshiki, and Jōchirō turned to see Megumi, pouring herself a cup of water. At the moment, the country girl wasn't her usual self. Not to mention those seriously nasty bags under her eyes. It seemed that Megumi kept herself up all night from thinking about the Autumn Elections. Sōma did tell her that they had a month to prepare for it. Fumio then stated, "Still, this works out perfectly. Megumi, come judge with us." The semi-conscious girl ended up agreeing to the whole thing, even though she wasn't completely aware of the whole situation.

Then the Dorm Mother then went to thinking about a theme for the Shokugeki, "Now, I'm no youngster anymore… And my stomach an't happy with heavy foods first thing. Plus one of our judges just had what amounts to an all-nighter… So the theme should be… Oh, I know. A dish to "Energize and Invigorate" the body! So make something like that for us."

After thinking about what to make, Sōma then started cooking, his usual white bandanna around his forehead.

Megumi was finally fully awake and asked what the father-son duo was doing. When Jōchirō answered, "Our usual cooking contest," the country girl freaked! She then jumped towards Sōma and asked him if he was serious, going up against a former Elite 10 member, a Former 1st Seat none the less! "So what, we do this kind of thing all the time back at the diner," the blind redhead stated with a smile, as if it was no big deal, then added "Just ask Mayu, but after she wakes up. Trust me on this one, she is a nasty demon if you interrupt her sleep cycle. Especially after she finishes working on a project."

This made Megumi wonder if both of the Yukihira twins inherited the "Asura" from their father. Then again, there was a high probability that they did.

After 15 minutes, Sōma was the first to serve his dish. An Apple Risotto.

All three the judges took a bite of the Risotto, taking in the refreshingly tangy and citrusy scent that was able to rouse their stomachs and perk up their appetite. The Apple Risotto was filled with the crispy apple texture and mildly sweet flavor had some soft simmered onions and crispy and salty bacon on top of the Risotto that has been cooked to perfection. But the Apple really holds the spotlight in the dish, the mild sweetness spreading throughout the whole thing. Sōma then told them to add a little bit of black pepper to the dish.

That pepper added a whole new dimension to the Risotto! A dimension that felt like a harmoniously elegant waltz between black and white.

Megumi said in a blissful tone, "Aaah, I feel like I could melt! The energy from this seeping into every corner of my sleepy body!" Fumio then said with a smile, "It's got tons of healthy vitamins, along with carbs and fats for energy too. And the rights have been cooked just a shade to the soft side of Al Dante, making it easy on the stomach."

That was when Isshiki then inquired, "There's one thing I'm curious about. The Apple flavor had thoroughly soaked into the rice and onions, but if the apples were simmered long enough to do that, someday have crumbled too much?" The second-year student did make a point.

Sōma had an easy answer for that. 100% Pure Apple Juice.

The blind redhead then explained, "First, I sautéed the onions and set them with the rice to simmer. Then I poured in a bit of the apple juice while it was all boiling down. I actually didn't add the diced apples until the very end, cooking them just long enough to heat them through."

Ah! So that's how the apples kept their crisp texture!

Isshiki couldn't help But be amazed by the ingenuity behind this dish.

Now, it was Jōchirō's turn to serve his dish. Jōchirō's Special Kotteri Ramen.

The first thing to pop into everyone's had was "What?!" Kotteri is a type of ramen with a heavy, rich broth. It was completely opposite the theme of this challenge! Not to mention a bit counterintuitive for breakfast.

Isshiki couldn't help but think, 'There are regions where ramen is eaten for breakfast. But at a glance, this one looks like an ultra-rich and heavy seafood ramen that would sit in the stomach like lead. For someone short on sleep like Tadokoro-chan and as advanced in years as Fumio-san, this dish seems like it is a bit much.'

That was when Fumio started throwing a hissy fit about how Jōchirō would never think twice about using a brand-new recipe or using a disgusting mash-up in the middle of a Shokugeki, which would cost him a match. Although, he would never lose a Shokugeki that involved his seat.

"Ah-ha! So you DID exaggerate some of those Shokugeki!" Sōma stated towards his father in an annoyed tone.

Jōchirō then said in a cheerful tone, pretty much ignoring all of the peeved looks (minus Sōma) thrown at him, "What can I say? My brain works in mysterious ways." The blind redhead did hit his father over the head with his cane.

That was when Megumi noticed that the broth only Looks really rich but it didn't smell overpowering at all and that it actually looks pretty mild and smooth. With that, all three of the judges tasted the dish. It was rich but so easy to eat.

Jōchirō revealed that he mixed in grated ebi taro roots to the broth. Isshiki took note of the spices used in the dish. Chili oil, grated raw garlic, and ginger. The combination of the spices added to the soymilk gently warms the body without burning the tongue. Fumio noted that the rest of the ingredients are a parade of detailed work.

Thin slices of lotus root and burdock deep-fried to a crispy golden brown. Chunky strips of carrot and turnip grilled over an open flame until lightly charred and then seasoned with just a little rock salt to bring out their natural sweetness. Each and every one of the side ingredients were cooked in a way to bring out its unique flavor to the fullest. But the keystone to all of this harmony was the Tempeh.

Tempeh; originating in Indonesia. Tempeh is made of soybeans fermented into a cake form. Soybeans are lightly cooked and then wrapped in either banana or hibiscus leaves when stored, the naturally occurring bacteria in the leaves causes the soybeans to ferment into Tempeh. A traditional food with a history over 400 years long, Tempeh is well-known and often used in Indonesian cuisine.

Megumi took a bite of the tempeh. In delight, she said, "Wow! It's really light, yet really filling too! Like fried rice."

Jōchirō then explained, "It has a texture a lot like that of a burger patty, so vegetarians and people on macrobiotic diets (1) use it a lot as a meat substitute. I broiled these teriyaki styles in a mix of soy sauce and sake."

That was when Isshiki realized that the broth was actually vegetable stock. Jōchirō then happily explained, "Yep! It's a mixture of Kombu seaweed and mushroom stock. In other words, it's a "Buddhist Stock"!" That was when the Totsuki alumni told them about how we met a Buddhist priest who had to give up meat and fish for a week because of a fast, so Jōchirō had developed this particular dish for the priest so he could enjoy something delicious while adhering to his religion.

So by mixing together Kombu and mushroom stocks, they each magnify the flavor of the other. Doing so will give you a solid soup stock without resorting to salty to meet like pork or bonito. After realizing that, Fumio shouted "Wait! That… You made this ramen without any meat or fish in it, and yet it's still this rich and powerful?!"

Jōchirō then stated with a grin, "It's really easy to get strong, robust flavor out of animal products like meat and fish. But… A 100% Vegan Kotteri Ramen… Don't you think it's more fun to make something like that?" Making something delicious and satisfying out of beans and vegetables… That is no easy feat to accomplish. But to someone like Jōchirō, seem to have taken his entire globetrotting life and condensed it all into one single dish.

It was unanimous to whose dish the judges loved the most.

"Happy to serve!" Jōchirō stated as he took up his apron.

Sōma took off his bandanna with a sigh. "Guess there's still stuff for me to learn, huh?" The blind redhead stated as he rewrapped his bandanna around his left wrist.

Jōchirō gave a soft smile, placed a hand on his son's shoulder, and said "You've still improved a lot though. It wouldn't surprise me if you were selected for the Autumn Elections."

Fumio snickered when she said "As a matter of fact, he already has been selected. Along with the majority of the Dorm."

"Oh?" Jōchirō got out before he went into Super Proud Papa Mode.

"Sōma! You are making your father burst with pride!" Jōchirō gushed out as he smothered his son with hugs and affection. This, in turn, made Fumio, Megumi, and Isshiki sweatdrop. This was making it was hard to believe that the man before them was a former First Seat of Totsuki. Sōma jabbed the butt of his cane into his father's gut, and then whacked him in the side.

Jōchirō doubled over in pain when Sōma snapped, "How many times have I told you to stop with those sudden hugs? You know very well that I hate those." Isshiki could understand the man's current pain, well at least the whole getting hit by the blind redhead's cane anyway.

Minus this whole weird smothering and hitting incident with his father, Sōma seem to have inspired some confidence in Megumi, yet again, but this time for the Autumn Elections. The country girl then thought, 'Perhaps... Maybe… Sōma could-'

Yuuki burst into the kitchen, shouting for everyone to wake up. She was panting from all the running she just did. Yuuki then said loudly, "We just got some huge news!"

Sōma was the one to ask, "Yūki? What's up?"

That was when Yuuki noticed that they were already people up and asked, "Wait. What are you all doing here? Something going on?"

Megumi then nervously replied, "See, ano... Sōma and Chef Jōchirō had a cook-off, and-"

Yuuki then shrieked, "WHAT?! WHY DIDN'T YOU COME GET ME?!" Megumi apologized.

In order to calm down the hyperactive orangette, Sōma asked her, "What's the big news?"

With that, Yuuki handed Megumi a sealed envelope and stated, "It came in the mail. I betcha it's the theme for the Autumn Election preliminaries!"

Megumi broke the seal of the envelope, gripped a single paper that laid innocently within, and said, "Our theme for the Autumn Elections is * Slides the paper out slowly * Curry... * Pulls the paper out all the way * Dishes?"

Curry Dishes? What is that suppose to mean?

}i{

Roughly a minute later...

"So, wait... Does that mean all we have to do is make Curry?" Sōma asked in a confused tone, not completely understanding what the theme was asking.

Yuuki then stated, "But it said _Curry Dishes_. That means we're not limited just to stuff like curry rice, don't you think. There is traditional Indian curry, which you eat with Naan Bread. Then there's stuff like curry noodles and curry stew. Of course, with the kind of bigwig judges will have, those dishes are probably too common to get good marks."

That was when the blind redhead stated, "Okay. So they're looking for a dish that uses curry."

Yuuki then asked Fumio if she could take care of her chickens for two or three days so she can go visit the local Hunter's Association to see if they are willing to share anything they've caught.

"Does anyone else think the theme of this is a little strange?" Sōma asked as he pressed the second knuckle of his right index finger to his chin.

Megumi asked the blind redhead what he meant by that. Sōma then explained in a serious tone, "From what I have been hearing about the Autumn Elections is that it's one of the biggest events for all the first-year Totsuki students that have been selected for it."

Yuuki nodded and said, "Yup, that sounds about right."

That was when Jōchirō stated "Ah, I see what you're talking about Sōma. The chosen theme is too broad with the main ingredient that is too common. It doesn't match with the importance of the Autumn Elections. Heck, the theme sounds more like it should have been chosen for a fun Festival where the winner gets crowned as the King or Queen of the dish, or something like that."

Now that the two Yukihiras mention it... Curry Dishes does seem to be a bit of a mismatched theme to pair with the major event... Even if the first-year students somehow manage to procure the best, top-grade ingredients... Soooo... Why is Curry Dishes the theme of the Autumn Elections?

"Isshiki-senpai," Sōma stated, getting the second-year student's attention, then asked, "How much of the Autumn Elections did Eizan-senpai actually work on?"

Isshiki eyed the blind redhead with a raised brow and asked, "Sōma-kun, as much as I admire your interest in such a prestigious event; however, I cannot disclose what any member of the Elite 10 worked on during sed event. Whether I agree with them or not... * Now in a concerned tone * Did something happened between you and Eizan-kun?" Sōma scoffed when he said, "Jerk brought up some Bad Memories, and to put it simply, That was the only "good" thing about our little "conversation" a couple of weeks ago." Jōchirō wasn't liking the tone his son was using, more along the lines of this Eizan person then the actual tone... Maybe the former First Seat should drop by the Headmaster later today.

Now Isshiki was SURE Eizan was doing something unethical behind the scenes... Yet Again.

Trying to get everyone on a happier note, Jōchirō brought up that a former resident of the Polaris dorm from his day was an expert in spices and used to cook curry all the time. "Oh! I know who you mean. Jun is a professor here at Totsuki now," Fumio stated, then added as she glanced at the first-year students, "She teaches second-year classes and I'm pretty sure you haven't even met her yet."

Fumio then explained that this former residence name was Shiomi Jun. She teaches the general classes and teaches a seminar specializing in spices. Not to mention she was the youngest professor ever hired by Totsuki.

Jōchirō then happily said, "Wow. She sure has gone far. Jun was one of my old dorm mates. I was in my second year of high school when she came on in her first year of junior high (middle school). I look after her a lot. * Now really chipper * Tell her my name and I'm sure she'll be glad to help." For reason, Sōma had a feeling that dropping his father's name isn't a good idea.

Yuuki decided to go get Mayu, so she could join Megumi and Sōma to meet Professor Shiomi.

"Yuuki-chan where are you going?" Sōma asked when he heard her footsteps climbing the stairs. Yuuki happily said, "I'm gunna get Mayu-cchi, so she can go with you to meet Shiomi-Sensei," then she bolted off.

"Wait? Does she mean that she's going to wake-up Mayu? Now?" Sōma asked with a worried look on his face. Megumi glanced at the blind redhead and said, "I think so..."

With that Jōchirō had a look on his face that screamed 'Oh-Crap-!' when he asked "Umm, Sōma, correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember Mayu telling me last night that she needed to finish an assignment before midnight... She stayed up late to complete it, so that means..."

"Yuuki! Don't!" Sōma shouted as he and the older man ran towards the stairs. Jōchirō then grabbed his son by the arm before he could get to stairs, more along the lines of making sure that Sōma doesn't trip over the stairs in his rush. Megumi was wondering why the two were acting this way until she felt an aura that made the entire dorm feel like you were standing in front of the Gates of Hell. "Crap!" Sōma vocalized.

Then Jōchirō added, "Too late!" Both looked positively terrified. They knew was going to happen next, and it is soooo NOT going to be pretty.

That was when the rest of the dorm woke to the sound of Yuuki's glass-shattering screams of petrifying fear.

~}i{~

One Hour Later...

Erina was sitting in the back of the car with Hisako as it drove toward its destination.

Hisako was reading off today's schedule for Erina from a little notebook she had in her hand, "The the owner and head chef of the restaurant Kishoan have come to pay their respects. They have a few dishes they would like for you to taste. This evening is a business dinner with those VIPs of Food Exclusive Company..." Erina was just glancing out of the window as her assistant/friend continued talking. This is a pretty normal occurrence.

Suddenly, Erina thought she saw Chef Saiba walking in the opposite direction of the car.

The honey blonde quickly shouted for the driver to stop, and practically leaped out of drive a car to see if her beloved idol was actually there. Hisako quickly followed and concern and asked, "Erina-sama, is everything all right?"

With a pink tint on her face and a heart fluttering like butterflies, Erina said, "It's... Nothing..." And then she thought, 'Was I seeing things?'

}i{

At the same time...

Sōma and Megumi stood in front of a dilapidated shed.

"Ano... Did Fumio-san write down the building address for Shiomi-sensei incorrectly?" Megumi wondered aloud as she looked at the address written on the piece of paper, then the shed, then looked at the paper again.

Sōma then asked, "Should we call Fumio-san or go inside and asked if this is the right building?" Megumi really didn't want to bother the dorm mother, but she also didn't want to enter the building in fear of whoever was living inside it being as scary as Chapelle-sensei.

Sōma decided it be best to investigate the building, so he went ahead. Poor Megumi didn't want her dorm mate to get lost within the rundown shed, so she unwillingly followed him.

It didn't take more than three minutes to find the room marked "Shiomi Seminar". The two Polaris members entered the open room to find it empty. At least, it was empty to Megumi's eyes. Sōma could hear some rhythmic 'Skrch'ing, and uses his cane to help guide him in the direction of the sound. When he heard his cane hit something ceramic he heard a small gasp. "Is someone here?" The blind redhead asked, notifying Megumi that there was indeed someone in the room.

The person in the room appeared to be a junior high (middle) school student with a high brownish-black colored ponytail with things framing her face, thin square-framed glasses, bright amber eyes, wearing a T-shirt with the word "spice" written on the chest, a pair of track shorts, and white generic shoes using one of those old-fashioned hand grinders to grind some kind of spice. Megumi wondered why a junior high school student was in a lab room that was designated for second-year high school students.

The girl quickly jolted to her feet as she shouted "GUESTS?!" She then nervously said while looking around "Um, I-I'm sorry. I'll go get some tea right away." Megumi quickly told the girl that she didn't have to, which in turn cause the girl to apologize, which then caused Megumi to apologize for the trouble.

'Are they aware that they're both apologizing for making the other apologies?' Sōma wondered as the whole apology cycle continued. Apparently, neither of the girls noticed.

Sōma did try to get their attention, but the apologies on top of apologies downed his voice out. Before the blind redhead could try again, he smelt the scent of cinnamon. The same cinnamon scent that he smelt during the Autumn Elections announcement. It started out faint but it was growing stronger, it was coming closer.

"Yo, I went and bought the stuff you asked for-, Hm?" a teen with dark skin and long, white hair with bangs are neatly swept to the right, green eyes, wearing the Totsuki school uniform unbuttoned with a shirt inside, a loosened tie around his uniform collar, and is considerably tall and handsome (in Megumi's opinion) said as he walked into the room.

}{ A Few Minutes Later }{

Megumi and Sōma sat on a sofa across from the girl as the tall, dark skin teen got them tea.

"Oh? So the two of you are from my old dorm?" The girls asked as the whitette placed a tray with a teakettle and four cups of tea.

"Hold on? Your old dorm?" Megumi asked in confusion.

That was when Sōma asked, more along the lines to confirm his suspicions, "Were you at the Polaris dorm when the Gemini Chefs resided at it?" The girl nodded it and said, "I was, *Now in a sour tone * unfortunately. * Now angrily * Saiba-senpai that jerk made me his test monkey for all of his experimental dishes!"

Megumi's attention perked when she asked "Saiba-senpai? Wait! Does that mean you're Shiomi Jun?!" That last part seemed to shock the country girl.

Shiomi Jun, Age 34. (But appears to be no older than 12 or 13-years-old)

Sōma turned an ear to his dorm mate and asked, "Why are you surprised? If this young lady is Shiomi-sensei then it shouldn't be that much of a surprise that she knew Oji-san and Saiba-senpai while they were attending Totsuki." At first, Megumi wondered why the blind redhead didn't address Jōchirō as his father, but remembering how Shiomi-sensei reacted to the memory of that very man, it seems like a reasonable action.

"Oji-san?" The child-looking woman asked in confusion.

Catching himself, Sōma explained, "I guess I should specify a bit, Dōjima Gin is my godfather, but my siblings and I like to call him Oji-san because he is close in age to our parents."

"Siblings? So Mayu isn't your only sister?" Megumi asked Sōma, who then replied, "Actually, she is my only sister, but we do have a younger brother. His name is Hiro." Megumi then asked if he was all right being at home all by himself. Sōma and stated that his younger brother was also attending an elementary school with dorm rooms, much like how Totsuki has dorms.

The dark skin teen giving audible cough to get the two Polaris dorm members attention, before asking, "While all this information is fascinating and all, but may I ask why you two are here?" As he sat down next to Shiomi-sensei.

Sōma quickly apologized for his tangent and said, "Both Megumi and I are here because we heard from Fumio-san that Shiomi-sensei is a master of spice and curry. And I guess that we were hoping that she would teach us about curry since it is the theme of the Autumn Elections."

Shiomi-sensei was a bit surprised that the dorm mother that oversaw the Polaris was still there, but she quickly recovered and said, "I guess I could teach you a thing or two. I mean, it is technically not against the rules for students to ask teachers for help when preparing for cooking events. * Turns to the dark skin teen next to her * Now that I think about it, Hayama, weren't you selected for Autumn Elections too?"

Megumi's braided pigtails stiffened when she asked the dark skin teen in shock, enough of a shock to make her slip completely into her Hokkaido accent, "Ya're'a first-year student?! I thought you were a second-year student! Since you were-, I mean, ya seem ta be... I thought ya had ta be a second-year student in order to attend any of the Tozuki seminar classes..." The dark skin teen, Hayama, chuckled softly and said, "No, you're right, and I am a First-Year Totsuki student. But you see, Jun here sucks at anything that isn't messing with spices, and she NEEDS my help."

The child looking professor jumped to her feet and shouted at Hayama, "That's "Shiomi-sensei" to you! Also, don't call me "Jun"! Y-you're in a special position as my personal assistant, Hayama! You need to show me the respect due a-"

"Jun..." Hayama said, getting the professor's attention before adding in a somewhat menacing tone, "You forgot it was your turn to water the plants today." Shiomi-sensei now has the look of the kind of realization that you have inadvertently done something bad. Hayama told her that he watered them for her, again. The child-looking professor sat in front of the dark-skinned teen on her knees and apologized.

Hayama then said, "And who was it that forgot to water them last week, nearly letting a very rare spice wither?"

Shrinking, Shiomi-sensei said in a meek voice, "Me, sir. I'm sorry, sir."

Then Hayama stated, "And remind me, who was it that took care of the guests you completely forgot about last month?"

Still shrinking, the professor said, "You, sir."

A sweatdrop appeared on Megumi's head when she thought, 'I think he's made his point.'

Sōma chuckled a bit before saying, "Wow, you two remind me of how Tsukui-sensei and Niwa-chan interact, except in reverse."

This actually got Hayama to stop. Shiom-sensei turns to the blind redhead and said, "I don't remember any teachers here at Totsuki by the surname of Tsukui."

Sōma waved a hand and said, "Oh, no, I'm not talking about any of the teachers here. Tsukui-sensei is actually a semi-regular customer back at the diner, and Niwa-chan drops in from time to time. You see, they live in the same building complex, and one of the rules of this place is that if you lived there you have to take care of it as well. Don't ask me why they have this kind of rule. And Niwa-chan is a little bit on the forgetful side and tends to forget her assigned chores from time to time, Tsukui-sensei usually ends up doing them and kind of starts doing what Hayama-kun was doing with Shiomi-sensei given the chance. Sorry, *Chuckles * I couldn't help but compare."

Well, that explains the odd reaction to that situation.

Sōma then sniffs the air and asked, "I can smell a whole lot of different spices here. * Stands and wonders over to where the scent was strongest * Ooh! I smell curry right here!"

Hayama smirked and said, "Ah, so you have a good nose too. What you're smelling right now is the Sweet Neem Leaf. Though most people know it as a Curry Leaf."

Megumi walked over to Sōma to see the spice and realized one thing when she vocalized, "What? That's a fresh curry leaf?!"

"Huh? What's the big deal about having a "fresh" curry leaf? We grow herbs in pots back at the diner," Sōma asked, not really understanding the comment.

Megumi then explained, "There aren't any curry trees in Japan, because the saplings can't survive our cold winters. It's more common to find the drive leaves here. It should almost be impossible to acquire leaves this fresh…"

That was when Hayama said after taking a sip from his cup, "That's one of the many things Jun is researching. Things like stable means to cultivate tropical spice plants inside Japan improved long-term storage method using advanced refrigeration techniques, and new flavor extraction methods. Jun has invented and developed all of these."

"Wow, those are really big accomplishments for someone in their 30s," Sōma bluntly stated with a chuckle.

Shiomi-sensei blushed when she stated, "That's so very sweet of you, and besides it's true that spices hold enough hidden potential to be worth those kinds of effort."

After these words, the professor slipped on a lab coat, that appear to be at least three sizes too big for her, and started writing on a whiteboard while explaining some of the scientific properties of spices. "Ano... Is she starting a seminar course?" Sōma asked, not really sure what just happened.

Hayama chuckled when he said, "Uh-oh when she gets like this, she can go on for hours."

Wait? What?!

"Ah, well it'll probably be faster if you experience it firsthand anyway. C'mon, I'll show you just how nuanced spices can be," Hayama stated as he led Sōma and Megumi to the kitchen within the building.

After a few minutes, the first curry dish was done. It was a Kozhi Varutha Chicken Curry.

Hayama explained that it's one of the major dishes of South Indian cuisine and that he is already added some of the curry leaves from before for flavor. Megumi couldn't help but state that the curry dish looked great. Sōma sniff the air close to the dish a bit before asking, "Did you also add some chili pepper to this dish? I can smell a hint of it."

Hayame blinked in surprise before ultimately saying, "Only one way to find out." With that, both Megumi and Sōma took a bite of the curry dish.

An explosion of the scented flavor of curry leaves filled their mouths, followed by the savory flavor of chili peppers and onions that danced on the tongue.

"You did use chili peppers! And this is delicious!" Sōma exclaimed, making Hayama smirked.

The dark skin teen then explained, "That's the power of fresh. The fragrance of raw curry leaves is over 10 times stronger than drive leaves, thus making the flavor 10 times stronger."

"I don't disagree with you on that," the blind redhead stated before adding with a chuckle, "However, I know someone who would actually find this dish disgusting, probably more along the lines that there are onions in here."

"You seem to know a lot of interesting people," Hayama observed as he started making another curry dish. Sōma happily stated that it must be because he worked at a diner, and interesting people tend to eat at diners.

That's one way to put it, at least from Megumi's point of view.

Hayama then made two samples of Goan Fish Curry. He explained that this dish uses white-meat fish, like swordfish and salmon. Megumi did ask why he made two samples. Hayama smiled and said, "You'll see. I use exactly the same spices and fish for both. Taste them and compare." And so, Sōma and Megumi did eat a spoonful from both dishes.

"The second taste much better! How's that possible if you use the exact same ingredients?" Megumi exclaimed.

Sōma ran his tongue over the curry that was still in his mouth, before swallowing and saying, "You roasted the red peppers and coriander without any oils."

Hayama chuckled and said, "Correct! I parched those two spices in a frying pan. It was all I needed to do to make that big of a difference between the two dishes."

Now what Shiomi-sensei saying earlier makes sense.

Hayama made his third and final dish, but to Megumi's eyes, it looked identical to the Kozhi Varuttha Chicken Curry that she first tasted. But to Sōma, he smelled a different dish, true it's smelled similar to the first dish but the scent smelled more powerful than it.

When they took a bite, the spiciness of flavor spread through the mouth much quicker and the flavor was far clearer. What did the dark-skinned teen add to make this powerful flavor possible? He confirmed that it wasn't from dry roasting.

That was when Hayama explained, "Instead of the soup stock I used for all the other dishes, I simmered this one in plain water." This actually surprised both Sōma and Megumi. Hayama explained the reason why he used water instead of soup stock, "I use one of the principles from Jun's lecture. The more flavors are mixed together, the less powerful each individual flavor becomes. So in this case, by removing the flavor of the soup stock, it lets the flavor of the curry spices stand out more strongly."

Megumi couldn't help but think, 'So he deliberately didn't use it stock. But wouldn't that make the dish taste bland?' She took another bite of the dish. The strong, powerful fragrance and the robust, rounded flavors… Was like being pierced right to the heart by one of cupid's golden arrows.

"Does anyone here read Sherlock Holmes?" Sōma suddenly asked. Both Hayama and Megumi stared at the blind redhead. Who can blame them, that question just came out of nowhere, literally.

Sōma then said with a look on his face that made it seem that he wasn't just eating anything that extremely delicious two seconds ago, "Just me? Okay, I guess I'll just explain it. In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's mystery entitled "Silver Blaze", Sherlock Holmes solve the mystery and caught the culprit because of what didn't happen."

Megumi was the one to ask in confusion, "Umm, what does that have to do with cooking?"

In that same cheerful tone, Sōma stated "It doesn't, but I couldn't help but think of that story when I noticed something Hayama-kun didn't do. * Now in a serious tone * I never heard you moved to taste any of your dishes. You knew the conditions of your ingredients from just the smell of them alone." This was a shockwave to the country girl and dark-skinned teen. How the heck did the blind redhead notice something like that?

Now that Megumi thought about it… She never actually saw Hayama checking any of the pots while he was cooking.

Hayama let out a whistle then said, "Wow, you were able to notice something like that with all of the stuff I was doing. I'm going, to be honest, I actually never expected you to deduce that much besides the taste of the dishes I served."

Sōma chuckled as he said, "Lota people don't, but then again, no one really expects a blind person to notice something that needs to be seen, right? * Drops the cheery demeanor and now in a calm tone * Shiomi-sensei said you were selected for the Autumn Elections, and I can understand why. Now I have to ask, considering what you specialize in, what did you think when you heard that "Curry Dishes" was selected as the theme for the preliminaries?"

Hayama chuckled when he said, "I laughed when I found out. I just couldn't help it. Of all the things they could have picked. Now it's your turn, what did you think when you heard, Yukihira Sōma?"

Sōma's ears perked up when he asked rather cluelessly, "Huh? I don't remember introducing myself when I arrived."

Hayama laughed when he said, "There isn't a single first-year student who doesn't know your name, and not just if they attended the entrance ceremony. Also, the majority of the second and third year students know who you are as well."

"Eh? Is my cooking really that good that even the senpais know why am?" Sōma asked placing a finger on his chin. A sweatdrop appeared on Hayama's brow when he said, "I'm sure it's the fact that you're a blind chef that's been catching everyone attention."

Sōma frowned when he said, "So... They only know of me because I'm labeled as "Disabled"... * Sighs * Same as always…"

"Sōma-kun..." was all Megumi got out. Hayama now regretted bringing that up.

Shaking off the sagging cloud, Sōma said to Hayama, "So, you know what's cooking by the scent of the ingredients. Were you born with a sharp sense of smell?"

The dark-skinned teen smiled and said, "I actually was in fact. It's actually one of the things that allowed me to cook as best I can. Since the sense of smell comes before the tongue can touch food."

By this time, Jun finally realized that the students weren't even in the same room she was and she had quickly scampered off to find them, lab coat dragging on the floor.

Sōma suddenly took one of Hayama's hands, held it to chest level, and said ecstatically, "This is amazing! I can't believe I found another person with an amazing sense of smell!" This caught both Megumi and Hayama (especially Hayama) majorly and completely off-guard.

"A-another?" The dark-skinned teen squeaked out in confusion.

The blind redhead nodded, not letting go of the others hand, and said, still bursting with joy, "Yes! His name is Andoryū and he's got the sharpest nose that I have ever known! I mean, he's been able to sniff out what's currently in the kitchen right from the front door! And he hasn't been wrong once! You just have to meet him, and he just has to meet you!"

Megumi pipped in an "Ano, are you talking about the same Andoryū that you mention about during the, err, I mean when you made the comment about the texture of that weird dish during the Hell Camp?"

The blind redhead happily stated, "Yup! That's him."

"Say, Hayama, we always have an Annual Menu Addition Cooking Contest at the diner during the summer, how about you drop by and participate in it? You'll be able to meet Andoryū there," Sōma asked happily, still having a hold on the dark-skinned teen's hand.

Still, in a bit of a shock, Hayama then comment, "You are aware that the first-year students selected for the Autumn Elections have to use the upcoming summer to prepare a dish for it? Right?"

"From what I just tasted, you should be able to come up with a dish for the Autumn Elections pretty easily and be able to participate in the Menu Addition Contest with little to no problem," Sōma stated with joy, not noticing the aura of confusion within the kitchen. Hayama was a bit taken back, not just because the blind redhead was suddenly so cheerful but also because he was admitting that the dark-skinned teen was an amazing chef.

Hayama was just about to refuse the offer when everyone heard and excited "He'll do it!" Emitting from the kitchen doorway. Megumi and Hayama turned to see Shiomi-sensei standing there, her face alight with radiating joy.

"Jun?!" was all Hayama was able to squeak out. Shiomi-sensei walked over to the trio and stated in a cheerful tone, "Hayama would love to participate, and I'll personally make sure of it."

"Eh? Really? That's really nice of you," Sōma said cheerfully as he turned an ear to the professor.

Shiomi-sensei then said happily, "Yup, and besides, Hayama needs to socialize with people more." The whitette was utterly distraught about the conversation happening right before him.

That was when Megumi asked the professor why she was so involved in Hayama's life, considering Totsuki's student\teacher policy.

"Oh, I'm Hayama's legal guardian," Shiomi-sensei stated, her current happy mood was completely overtaking her being right now and didn't realize the information that she had just disclosed.

Megumi went into a state of shock, while Sōma said in amazement, "Whoa! I didn't think that kind of relationship was allowed here at Totsuki."

"Actually, Jun has special permission, but that's all we're going to tell you. Now can you let go of my hand," Hayama stated, trying to pull away from the blind redhead. Sōma finally realized that he's been holding on to the other's hand this entire time and realized his grip with an apology.

For once, Hayama was hoping that Jun's forgetful nature of things that are not spice related would actually allow him to miss this 'Annual Cooking Contest' thing.

}{ Roughly 30 Minutes Later }{

Megumi and Sōma returned to the Polaris dorm for more spice and curry research. After all, they had a preliminary to prepare for and they needed all the information they can get that was available to them in the limited time frame that they were going to be in the dorm.

}{

After three complete days of nonstop research on curry, spices, and any ingredients that may be used to balance the two, Megumi at her suitcase packed and ready for her to return home for the summer, and the Yukihira Twins had all their stuff packed and ready for them to return to the diner to restart it for the summer.

"Mayu, are you sure that you already talked to the Totsuki Board about being on the list for the Autumn Elections? You know they're not going to talk to you over Summer Vacation," Sōma asked his twin sister with concern.

Mayu sighed and then replied,"I did, and they said that they couldn't do anything because the list was already made and approved of. Can you believe that load of crap? * Scoffed * I just want to know who's the dimwitted idiot who put a non-Totsuki student on that list and didn't have anyone double check it before making it official."

As you can imagine, Yukihira Mayu was NOT the least bit pleased with this. Especially since she got her summer assignment from her high school (Gijutsu Saidai Academy), which was to make a short animated film of an assigned ballet dance. Sōma actually cringed when he heard that. While the blind redhead was aware that his twin sister was amazing when it came to technical stuff, he knew that she had her work cut out for, and that wasn't even including the fact that she also had to think of an original curry dish for something that she wasn't even supposed to be part of. 'Something tells me that that bastard Eizan is behind having Mayu's name on the Autumn Election list,' Sōma thought sourly.

After waving his arm around for her shoulder, Sōma placed a hand on his twin sister and said, "Mayu, you're getting too aggravated. How about we stop at your favorite sushi place on the way home to cheer you up, my treat."

Mayu smiled at her brother and said, "Sōma, you don't have to do that." The blind redhead smiled and said, "I don't mind, besides we haven't been there in a while."

A few seconds later, a taxi pulled up in front of the Polaris dorm.

~}i{~ Timeskip. End of Summer, and Back at Totsuki ~}i{~

(What happened over the Summer Holiday for Sōma is what happens in the Summer Omakes)

It didn't take much effort to find the stadium for the Autumn Elections introductions, all you had to do was follow the 61 participants.

Sōma and Mayu easily found their dorm mates. One of the questions that they asked was, "Mayu, are you going to be okay for the preliminaries?"

The female Yukihira smiled and said in a chipper tone, "Oh, don't worry about me, I have a dish in mind and I have all the ingredients for it. In all honesty, it was sort of the only thing I could really think about making, considering what I was animating all summer * chuckles *. I am so glad I got THAT done." This made the Polaris dorm members curious as to what Mayu's curry dish actually was.

Takumi popped out of nowhere, mainly to declare that he was Sōma's only true rival when Mayu as who the thin stranger standing next to him was. Takumi answered in a slightly confused tone, "Huh? It's Isami, of course. Who else would it be?"

Things got awkwardly silent at that.

The Polaris group it merely stated that the blind half Italian was lying (minus Sōma, who didn't know why they were reacting the way they were). Takumi explained, almost as if the whole situation with Isami's sudden weight-loss was normal to him, "Um, I'm telling the truth. It is him. The summer heat got to him and he lost a little weight, yes, but he doesn't look that different."

Isami continued the explanation, "I'm feeling lots better now, though don't worry. I'm usually back to my normal self by late fall, early winter." Everyone was surprised that this was actually a yearly thing and that the whole thing has killed the brunette half Italian yet.

Takumi was about to say something when all of the light in the stadium suddenly switched off.

Spotlight flashed onto a podium with a microphone as the emcee announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, we apologized for keeping you waiting. Please turn your attention to the stage." Not like the students had a choice in the matter, the state was the only thing lit.

The emcee then announced, "The headmaster of the Institute will now make his introductory address."

With that, Nakiri Senzaemon walked onto the stage, his radiating aura suffocated the air close to the stage. When the muscular, elderly man stood in front of the microphone, and made his speech, "This auditorium is known as Heaven's Moon Arena. Usually, it is a place reserved solely for Shokugeki between members of the Elite 10. * This pretty much captured everyone in the stadium's attention * As a show of respect to those students who earned the rank of First Seat... It is tradition to hang their portraits here in a place of honor." Mayu and the Polaris dorm members were able to find the portrait of the Two Gemini Chefs as soon as those words were spoken, and in the dim light too.

The headmaster continued, "This arena has seen countless battles and witnesses the birth of countless specialties. Here you can feel them in the air. The memories of battle, one after another after another… Floating through the air like a mist. This Heaven's Moon Arena is where the Autumn Election Finals will be held."

So in other words, those who survived the preliminaries will have the honor of standing on this legendary stage!

With this, Senzaemon decided it was time to finish his speech, "Students! We will meet here again on the day of the finals! Which of you will be the ones to carve a new piece of history? Show me! Chefs of Totsuki's 92nd graduating class!" The students cheered with excitement at these words, and not just the first-year students.

Having their names go down in history like this. Having the opportunity to walk the path of the elite. Not to mention having the second and third-year students watched their skills and action. No words to describe this level of excitement that would radiate from the majority of the first-year students.

Senzaemon tapped on the microphone, in order to get everyone's attention. He took a deep breath and said into the mic, "While I sincerely wish to end this on a happy note, but as Headmaster of Totsuki I must make this horrible news now while all of the students and staff are present." That earned a murmur from all of the students as the elderly man pulled out a folded sheet of paper from his sleeve pocket. What on earth could be so important, not to mention so bad, to actually paused the Autumn Elections for even a second?

Senzaemon cleared his throat, unfolded the paper to read, and said into the microphone, "As Headmaster of Totsuki, I hereby declare… That I, Nakiri Senzaemon, use one of my Nulls to remove the following students from the Elite 10 Council with a heavy heart... Kobayashi Rindou, Akanegakubo Momo, Kinokuni Nene, Eizan Etsuya, and * with a heavy sigh and an even heavier heart * Nikiri Erina... Over this past summer, these five students have violated, not only the rules of Totsuki but also the rules that have been set in place at their summer employment… And because of their negligence of said rules… * Takes a deep breath * A customer has suffered greatly. Therefore, I believe that they are no longer fit to be a part of the most prestigious group within the walls of Totsuki…"

The arena was eerily silent. No one said a single word. No one has made a single noise. No one had any idea what could have happened over the summer to remove half of the Elite 10 Council from power.

The Polaris group, Ikumi, and the Aldini Twins eyed Mayu and Sōma since they knew for a fact that the names that were listed were apart of the Seven Elites that had to work at their diner. 'What happened over the summer?' was the question that popped into all of their heads.

However... Alice, Ryō, and Hayama focused their attention on the Yukihira Twins because they KNEW exactly what happened at Shokujidokoro Yukihira since they were there when THAT happened... And quite frankly… After watching it happen... Made it that much harder to ever see those five as Elites Chefs ever again.

For Mayu and Sōma... Hearing that those five have been removed from the Elite 10 didn't make them feel any better. After all, those five did something that neither of the Yukihira Twins could ever forgive...

~}i{~

To Be Continued...

~}i{~

Omake: Summer Time at Shokujidokoro Yukihira.

}i{ July 8; Summer Job Day 7 }i{

13:17 (1:17 PM) at Shokujidokoro Yukihira….

The Sumire Karaage Roll was still a major hit, everyone just loves them, no matter who they are. But now it's time for a new dish…

The lunch rush was pretty much over and the Seven Elites were on their own lunch break when Hiro told them some interesting information.

"Annual Menu Addition Cooking Contest?" all Seven Elites asked at the same time.

Hiro happily nodded and said "Yes, Pops holds this cooking contest every Summer, and the winner of each category get's their dish on our menu. Sōma-Ani and Mayu-Ane won a few of the categories over the years."

Saitou then asked, "How long doth thy dishes last on the menu?"

Hiro answered honestly "Our menu is considered a Specialty-of-the-day or a seasonal menu, but as long as the customers want the dish, we'll do our best to keep making the dish. I mean, one of our most popular dishes is actually last year's Dessert Winner."

This got Akanegakubo's attention immediately when she said "What kind of dessert? Momo wants to know."

Hiro blinked in confusion and asked "Ano, you don't know? But you've been serving it for the past week you guys have been working here…. You really don't remember any of the names of the dishes you've been serving? Or any of menu items?"

Now that the Seven Elites thought about it, they haven't really been paying attention to what they've been serving, just what trays went to which table. Or in Erina's case, the number of dishes she had to wash.

Hiro folded his arms and said "You know, I'm starting to think that maybe you guys aren't the real members of this Legendary Elite 10 Council of Totsuki that Pops told us about. I would've figured you'd at least remember our most popular dishes." (Ouch! That had to have stung).

Two pairs of footsteps walked into the diner. "Hi, hi~" everyone heard a child happily called out. They turned to see two individuals. A relatively tall woman wearing a black shirt, white pants with a black colored design on the middle paired with a gray leather boots, who appeared to be in her late 40s, short messy midnight black hair, bright cyan blue eyes, and had (and what really caught the attention of the Seven Elites) skin that was as white as pure untouched snow. And a seven-year-old girl with cocoa coloured hair that was tied in a pair low braided twin-tails, sparkling black eyes, light blue short-sleeved shirt with a silver panther printed on the front, matching slacks, and black shoes.

"Yumi, I know you're excited, but no shouting when we're inside," the woman said to the little girl, who cheerfully replied, "Sorry mommy, but it's been too long since we came here." The woman patted the girl, Yumi, on the head as they walked to the bar stools.

Hiro smiled and said happily "Tsukui-Sensei! How have you been? We haven't seen you in a while." 'Sensei?' the Seven Elites thought at the same time. They then wondered if this lady was some kind of chef who used to work at Yukihira's or was a cooking teacher like Chapelle-sensei.

The woman smiled, helped the girl onto one of the bar stools, and said "I'm good. I'm sorry for not dropping by lately, but I had a lot of kids to take care of this school year and Yumi here had a lot more schoolwork this time around." The woman, Tsukui-sensei, then patted Yumi on the head again as she sat on the stool next to her.

Yumi then happily said, "But I got it all done."

"By the way, the usual group is coming in, so would it be too much to ask for some seats to be open for them?" Tsukui-sensei asked the boy, who happily replied "No problem."

The pale woman looked around the diner before asking "Where are Sō-chan and Mai-chan? I figured they'd be back for the Menu Contest."

Hiro happily said "They're here, let me get them for you. They'll be so delighted that you're here, Sensei." The boy then took off to the Yukihira residents upstairs.

Nikiri Erina, Eizan Etsuya, Kinokuni Nene, Saitou Somei, Akanegakubo Momo, Kobayashi Rindou, and Tsukasa Eishi stared at the woman and her daughter with curiosity, wondering who the woman was. "It's rude to stare at someone you don't know," Tsukui-sensei said to the 7 Elites, casting a suspicious eye at them. "Who are you anyway? You children wear Yukihira's uniform, yet none of you have the vibe of Yukihira. And I doubt Yukihira-san would approve of complete strangers working in his diner," the woman stated still giving the Totsuki students with that same suspicious look. Yumi was a bit confused about why her mother was saying what she was saying, but the child knew she didn't recognize the teens in the diner uniform.

One thing the 7 Elites could Not miss was the aurora that the woman seems to be giving off. It was almost like they were being stared down by a Fearsom Wol-

"Tsukui-sensei!" the 7 Elites heard the Yukihira twins say at the same time as they entered the diner from the stairs. And with that, the aurora that surrounded the woman vanished without so much as a trace.

"Sō-chan, Mai-chan. Good to see you two again," Tsukui-sensei said cheerfully with a toothy grin.

That was when the 7 Elites finally realized what the woman was calling the Yukihira twins when they thought 'Sō-chan? Mai-chan? ... What?'

Mayu took one of her twin's hand and lead him to the woman, Hiro followed the twins. Tsukui-sensei, in turn, stood up and pulled all the three Yukihiras into a hug. Now that the 7 Elites noticed the height comparisons, the woman was a bit taller than Sōma by about 6 cm.

"Tsukui-sensei, it's so good of you to drop by," Mayu said happily as she and Hiro looked up at the woman as they separated.

Tsukui-sensei smiled and said, "Same here, I'm sure Hiro-chan told you, I've been busy this school year."

Sōma waved it off and said "No worries, Sensei. Also, is it the usual group that's coming in?"

Yumi pipped in by saying "Yup, and the usual troublemakers."

Mayu sighed and said, "Those two better behave this time."

"I'll add squid to their food for you if they don't," Sōma said casually, earning a snicker from the woman.

Tsukui-sensei then said rather than asked, "Still making those weird food combos, huh, Sō-chan."

The blind redhead smirked and stated, "Duh, how else am I going to find out what works?" The woman could only smile at the Totsuki student.

That was when Yumi asked the Yukihira Twins, "Neh, Nii-chan, Nee-chan (2), *points to the 7 Elites* who are they?" The Yukihiras then explained the whole "Troubled but Gifted Summer Camp" to the woman and added that their father gave the ok to use his diner as a camp.

Tsukui-sensei couldn't help but laugh and say "Yeah, that sounds just like something he would do."

"Oji-san needs to grow up," Yumi said with a huff. The woman snickered at the comment her daughter made. This somewhat made the 7 Elites wonder who the Yukihiras' father was. And now that they thought about it, where was their mother? None of the Elites have seen her, nor have any of them heard of her since they've been here.

Tsukui-sensei suddenly turned her head towards the door, as if she heard something everyone else could not. When everyone looked towards the diner entrance to see a tall thin man (181 cm/ 5.94 ft) with long dark brown hair that reached his caves but had some bangs in his face, dark gray eyes, a sky blue shirt with long sleeves and seemed to be made from a light material, long black slacks, and black shoes. The tall man took a few steps towards the group.

Sōma smirked and stated; "I know those footsteps. All your usual dishes, Kashii-san?"

The man, Kashii-san, only stated; "Not at the moment, Sōma-kun. Just an order of Chicken and Shrimp Ramen with the Works for now."

Tsukui-sensei raised a brow in concern when she asked as she took a step towards the man "Just ONE order of ONE dish? You feeling alright Eiji?"

"I am quite alright," Kashii-san replied as he walked over to the barstools.

"Then why are you only ordering one thing?" Mayu asked the tall man with a raised brow. These comments made the Seven Elites wonder if the man was a big eater, but looking at his figure made them think otherwise.

In a completely calm tone, Kashii-san stated; "Michio, you remember the bet that the Tsumita brothers made with me?"

Tsukui-sensei snickered and stated; "Yes, so I assume you won that bet, huh."

'So this man's name is Kashii Eiji and Tsukui-Sensei's name is Tsukui Michio?' Erina thought, taking in the new information. That was when she realized, 'Wait a minute... Michio is a guy's name (3)!' The honey blond quickly looked over the snow-skinned individual, trying to confirm whether or not the person was male or female. Erina quickly stopped as soon as she saw that the long-haired man was giving her a narrowed eye.

Kashii-san only nodded as he took a seat at the bar. One stool away from Yumi. Tsukui-sensei sat between the two and stated; "I saw that outcome coming the moment those two made that bet with you." Sōma and Hiro went to work on the ramen dish in the kitchen as Mayu went upstairs to work on her project.

The blind redhead pipped in a; "Well, what do'ya expect from those two? But making a bet with you Kashii-san? Depending on what the bet was about and what the game was, going up against you is just plain crazy."

Tsukui-sensei chuckled and stated, "You're one to talk about crazy, Sō-chan."

In a cheerful tone, Sōma asked; "Eh? You think so?"

Hiro quickly gave the three glasses of water before rushing back into the kitchen.

"Michio," Kashii-san said, getting the woman's attention, and asked in a rather serious tone "Why do you still call Sōma-kun and Mayumi-kun by those childish nicknames? They are obviously no longer children in your Daycare."

"D-D-Daycare?!" all seven of the Elites gasped in both unison and shock. So this woman wasn't a chef?! She was a Daycare Teacher!

Everyone looked at the Elites (or in Sōma's case, turned an ear to the group) as Hiro stated; "Ano, yes. Tsukui-sensei runs the Daycare right outside the Sumiredōri Shopping District. She's the best when it comes to young kids."

Tsukui waved a hand and said; "Oh, you're exaggerating Hiro-chan."

Sōma chuckled out an "I gotta agree with Hiro on that one." The blind redhead then told the long-haired man "Besides, neither Mayu or I mind that Tsukui-sensei still calls us by those nicknames." Kashii-san said nothing as he took a sip from his glass.

Kobayashi then pipped out happily, "So you won't mind it if we call ya Sō-chan then?"

With a sudden frown on his face, Sōma asked the 2nd Seat seriously, "Would you call the Headmaster of Totsuki Ojīchan (4) or Jiji (4)?"

The other Elites just gave the 2nd Seat a look that practically screamed: "Are you being serious?". The two adults and the young child were just not sure what to think of that 3rd-year high school student. In the adults' opinions, she seemed to act like a lower Elementary age student.

Just in case Rindou didn't get the hint, Sōma stated "I'm your boss here, as well as Mayu. So You seven will address us as so while you are working here. Got it?"

"Huh? When did Joey hire outsiders ta work at Yukihira's?" a petite woman with short, wild orange hair, emerald green eyes, wearing an orange short-sleeved shirt with black stripes, orange shorts, and black shoes walked into the diner.

The 7 Elite just stared at the orange haired woman and wondered, 'Who's Joey?' But based on what she said, it seems as though this Joey person might be the Yukihira's father... 'Is their father a foreigner?' Erina thought to herself and then speculated that he might be from Australia. The honey blond then thought as she settled on that idea, 'Joey is a common name in Australia. So Yukihira's father must be an Austrailian.' (Umm... Did Erina just assume that Jōchirō is a foreigner after one person called him 'Joey'? And never considered that it just MIGHT be a nickname? I would say she's severely "Stereotyping" with that line of thinking but considering how uneducated Erina is outside of the culinary world... I guess it's to be expected of her... Kinda sad really...)

"Sensei ni rei (5)!" Sōma suddenly said, somewhat startling the 7 Elites.

"Oi, oi, Sōma-kun, ya don't have ta do that anymore," the orangette said as she waved a hand and walked towards the barstools.

The blind redhead chuckled when he said, "Sorry, Aira-san, but after doing that for so long it's become a habit."

"He does have a point Kadae," Tsukui stated as she turned to face the other woman before adding, "Once something becomes a habit, it's hard to just stop doing it."

"That's very true," said another petite woman, who had short light brown hair, brown eyes that sparkled through a pair of thin black-rimmed glasses, wore an olive green shirt and shorts, black pantyhose, and brown combat boots.

"Y-Yūki-san! Good Afternoon!" Hiro immediately shouted when he saw the female brunette, his face turning a nice shade of pink. The woman with the light brown hair smiled and waved at the boy, who in turn, flushed redder. Tsukui-sensei saw this and smiled.

Aira-san spotted Kashii-san and sauntered over to the long-haired man. When she stood next to him, she wrapped a playful arm around his neck and asked in a cheery tone, "Yo, Eiji, you made your move yet?~"

"Move on what?" Kashii-san asked rather cluelessly in a calm tone as if he didn't have anyone in a position to suffocate him.

Yūki-san turned pink and said to the orangette in a bit of a flustered tone, "Kadae! I thought you agreed that you weren't going to ask him about that?!"

"Ask about what?" the long haired man asked again, still pretty clueless about what the two women were implying.

Sōma interrupted the odd banter by asking when the other half of the group was going to be in. Before the 7 Elites could even think about what that could mean, a pale young man with a fit build, with messy white short hair with a section covering his left eye while his visible right eye was red, he wore a black rabbit-eared headpiece with the left ear being droopy, a white sleeveless shirt that looked like it could use a good iron, long black slacks, both articles of clothing had bunny patterns stitched all over them and wore a pair of red heels appeared in front of them. More accurately, the Seven Elite finally noticed that the oddball white-haired man was staring at them. 'Who the hell is this?' Erina thought before realizing that this man looks similar to her cousin Alice for some reason. (Probably because of the hair, skin, and eye color).

"Hi, Usagi-nii-chan!" Yumi cheered happily as she waved at the white-haired man, who gave a slight waved back at the girl.

It wasn't five seconds later that Sōma suddenly said, "Usagi, I'm sure you've noticed the new seasonal employees, but I would appreciate if you don't bother them when they are working. However, they are currently on a break so it's okay to talk to them now." The white-haired man, apparently named Usagi, smiled happily, revealing that he had sharp teeth. The Seven Elite absolutely did not know why the blind redhead said that to a grown adult, after all, it sounds like something you would tell a child.

The white-haired man turned his attention back on the Seven Elite and said happily, "I'm Usagi! What are your names?" The Seven Elite awkwardly introduced themselves to the whitette before he asked in a childishly innocent tone, "Will you be my friends?"

A grown man who acts like a child is asking a group of teenagers to be his friends… The Seven Elites had no response to that...

"Oh, wow! Ore-sama (It basically means 'I' with a very high opinion of one's self in Japanese) never expected to see a bunch of outsiders wearing the Yukihira's uniform," a new voice from the entranceway said.

"Agreed, Ani. It looks weird," a second voice stated, sounding very similar to the first.

Sōma told the new voices, "Ah, I hear that the Tsumita brothers are here. Just letting you two know, I got some fresh blueberry jam and I just boiled some squid tentacles."

The Seven Elites turned their attention to the door to see two identical looking males that appeared to be in their late teens to mid-20s, pale skin, military khaki slacks, light purple-colored hair, and amber eyes. One of them wore a gray sleeveless top while the other wore a blue shirt with sleeves to his elbows. The two gulped and said in unison, "Uh, we'll behave."

'Squid and blueberries? Even I don't have to taste THAT to know that it's going to be disgusting,' Erina thought with a cringe. She didn't have to think too hard to figure out that Sōma was threatening the identical males, who were obviously Twins to the honey blond's eyes, to be on their best behavior.

When Hiro brought Aira-san a bottle of beer, a short, bald elderly man with a graying full fluffy beard, wearing getas, and some loose fitting clothing walked into the diner. And what really caught the attention of the Seven Elites was the shirt the old man was wearing, seriously, he was wearing a black t-shirt with the words 'OVERWATCH' under the logo from said video game series (which the present Elite knew about but never played). This elderly man had to at least be in his late 70s early 80s, this fact alone made the Seven Elite think that maybe his grandchild who was a fan of the game asked him to wear the shirt rather than the old man choosing to wear it himself.

Yūki-san spotted the elderly man through her glasses and said happily, "Oh, afternoon Tsujiie-san. I thought you were coming here later after you were done with that battle raid with your guild."

The elderly man, Tsujiie-san, waved a wrinkly hand and said, "I know, but the entire guild was able to get online faster than I anticipated, so we did the raid early. It was lucky for us, a limited surprise event just launched and we got double experience points and gold from that raid."

Yūki-san happily clapped her hands and said, "Wow, how lucky."

Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Wait a minute! The Seven Elites believe what they were hearing. The old man… The old man was actually talking about a video game… PLAYING a video game... But… How? Why was an old man playing video games? It didn't make a lick of sense to any of the seven.

Tsukui-sensei caught a glimpse of the looks on the Seven Elite's faces and told them, "I guess you children don't get out much. Not all elderly folks are daunted by new technology, a good number of them actually embrace it, like Tsujiie-san here. In fact, he is pretty much addicted to video games (6)."

The elderly man gave a low chuckle and said, "I'm not denying that. Besides, it allows me to spend more time with my grandkid." The elderly man then walked over to a table and took a seat. None of the Seven Elites had any response to that, more along the lines of not knowing how to respond than anything else.

The next to walk in was Hayama and Shiomi-sensei (in casual clothing by the way), but they didn't come in alone. A muscular giant standing at a towering 230 cm (7.54593 ft), with neck length semi-wavy brown hair, dark red eyes, wearing a tight gray sleeveless shirt that exposed his muscular arms, loose-fitting slacks that completely covered his legs, and wore brown calf-length workboots that seemed big enough to hold a small tree follow Hayama and Shiomi-sensei into the diner. The giant's footsteps resembled the sounds of hoofbeats from a battle-horse.

The Seven Elite wasn't sure what was more shocking. The fact that a teacher and a fellow student from their school was here or that a massive hulk just walked into a diner. All of the Seven Elites had to crank their necks up to even look the towering man's hard face. 'I can not believe that there is actually someone this huge! He can actually make Grandfather look like he's the size of a child!' Erina thought, her neck starting to hurt from having it at a sharp angle.

Sōma's ears perked at the footsteps, that was when he asked out loud, "Souma-san (7)? Is that you?"

Now the Seven Elite was confused. The giant had the same name as the blind redhead? Wait a second! Sōma called him Souma-SAN... Does that mean that the towering man's surname was Souma? Not his first... Erina's head was spinning in dizzying confusion.

In a soft but deep voice, the giant said, "Yes... It's me... I found some students from your school... They were looking for your diner... A boy and a girl..."

Sōma raised a brow when he said, "A boy and a girl? But Alice-chan and Ryō-kun know where Yukihira is..."

Hayama glanced up at the giant and said, "I believe he means a boy and a woman. Jun is 34."

Souma-san's head shot a downward glance at the short spice professor and asked in confusion and in a bit of a higher tone, "You're an adult?"

"Oh! Hayama-kun, Shiomi-sensei, glad you came," Sōma said happily as he placed a bowl of Chicken and Shrimp Ramen onto a tray. Hiro then took the tray to Kashii-san and gave him the bowl. The boy looked over at the new arrivals before he then rushed over to a nearby corner booth and moved two chairs together for the giant to sit on, with the tray tucked under his arm as he did. Souma-san walked over to Hiro in only three of his long strides and patted the boy on the head as he softly thanked the boy. Hiro smiled back at the giant before scurrying back to the kitchen.

Hayama and Shiomi-sensei walked over to the barstools and took their seats, not even casting a glance at the Elites nearby. Erina wasn't sure if she should feel insulted or relieve at that.

"Wow, this place is amazing," Shiomi-sensei said after looking around the diner, noting how homely it felt. Sōma happily replied thanks.

Hayama turned his head a bit and ended up looking at the 7-year-old girl, who was looking up at him. After a few seconds, Yumi said, "You shouldn't stay out in the sun too long, it's really bad for your skin." Hayama blinked at that.

"YUMI! You do NOT say something like that to a stranger!" Tsukui-sensei snapped at her daughter in a stern voice, before turning her attention to the dark-skinned teen and said, "I apologize for what she said."

Hayama waved a hand and said with a small sweatdrop, "It's alright. I'm going to guess that she's never met anyone with dark skin before."

Tsukui-sensei eyed her daughter and said, "You're right, but it's still no excuse for her to make such a comment based on just someone's skin colour." Yumi lowered her head and apologized to Hayama.

The whitette patted the girl on the head and told her, "It's ok this time because I understand why you made the comment, but listen to your mother and try not to do it again." Yumi blinked a bit before smiling and nodding.

"Oh? I smell a lot of spices. You testing out a new dish, Sōma?" a familiar voice from the entranceway suddenly asked. Erina's head immediately snapped towards the voice, nearly giving herself whiplash, to see the gray-haired teen with sleepy gray eyes, but he was wearing casual clothing instead of the school uniform that the honey blond has seen him in.

Sōma chuckled before stated, "Hey Tsugiyoshi (8). The spice smells are probably from Hayama and Shiomi-sensei, * waves a hand towards the two in question, but more to the origin of the spice smells * they work with spices a lot."

The gray-haired teen glanced at the two and asked them, "You from this Totsuki school as well?" Alice and Ryō popped in a few seconds later, the albino happily saying hi, while and in contrast, the seafood specialist was lackadaisical.

Hayma looked at Tsugiyoshi and said, "Yes, I'm in my first year and Jun here is a teacher at Totsuki."

The gray-haired teen's eyes snapped to Shiomi-sensei and asked in shock, "Wait? You're a teacher?!"

With a raised brow, Sōma asked, "Why does everyone keep asking her that? Does she not have an aurora of a teacher?"

Everyone but the snickering Tsumita brothers were quiet. Tsukui-sensei was the one to explain to Sōma, "Sō-chan, the reason why everyone asks if Shiomi-sensei, right? * looks at the shorter teacher for confirmation. Shiomi-sensei nods * is actually a teacher because her outward appearance is that of a 13-year-old girl."

Sōma actually stopped what he was doing and vocalized, "Eh?"

Hayama snickered and stated, "Yup, Jun looks younger than the both of us, despite being twice our age."

This, of course, made Shiomi-sensei turn red with embarrassment as she shouted, "That's Shiomi-SENSEI to you! And I only look young because I eat a lot of spices that are known to keep a youthful appearance!"

Tilting his head to the side, Sōma said, "I kind of thought Shiomi-sensei was on the short side, judging from where her voice was coming from, but I never thought that it was because she looked half her age. Oh! But that explains why Megumi was so shocked when Shiomi-sensei introduced herself."

Hayama vocalized a "Yes," as he nodded, before looking around the diner and asking Sōma, "Is this Andoryū person you wanted me to meet here?"

The blind redhead shook his head and said, "He's not, but he'll be coming in with the Trinity close to 14:00 (2 pm)."

Aira-san turned to her former student and asked, "Oh? Are they planning on entering the Annual Menu Contest?"

Sōma shrugged and said, "I'm not sure, but if they are, then this year's contest is going to be a blast! * Sighs * I really wish I could participate this year so I can cook-off against them."

Hiro looked up as his older brother and said, "But Ani, you can't. According to the rules of the Menu Addition Contest, you can't enter this year."

Ryō raised a brow and asked, "Why can't you participate in your own diner contest?"

Sōma smiled and said, "I explain that to all of you when Andoryū gets here. It'll be easier to explain once all the Ju-"

"No need to wait any longer. I, Inō Toshiko, have arrived to brighten your gloomy day!"

Sōma, Alice, Ryō, Hayama, and Shiomi-sensei easily heard Tsukui-sensei sigh over the boisterous introduction.

The new voice belonged to a tall woman with long blonde hair that reached past her butt, carefully painted red lipstick, red eyes, a beauty mark under the corner of her left eye, wore a tight white blouse that did little for guessing her rather large cup size, earring with small dangling tusks, a knee-length ruby red skirt, polished red heels that matched her lipstick, and carried a shopping bag in her left hand. Next to the boisterous blonde was a shorter woman with short green hair with braids tucked behind her ears, wore some red feather clips to hold those braids in place, bright green eyes, wore a bright red shirt with a yellow heart in the middle of it, red shorts, red-feathered boots that reached her knees, and a couple of big shopping bags that she somehow was carrying in her arms.

"Inō-san, I hope you didn't have more than Five shopping bags with you this time. You know the diner rules," Sōma asked with a sigh, knowing full well that the tall woman had a bit of a shopping habit.

With a confident smile, the blonde, Inō-san, stated in a tone to match that smile, "I only have five bags."

"Each being the size of your ego," one of the Tsumita Brothers stated with a snicker. The Totsuki students (and staff) turned their attention towards the to look-alikes to see them high-five each other.

Sōma shook his head and stated, "The shopping bags either have to be in a chair or under the tables." "I know," Inō-san stated as she motioned for the greenette to follow her to a nearby booth.

The Seven Elite watched the two women walk by. "Niwa Ryouka," Usagi told them, which in turn made all of them return their gazes at the rabbit man. Usagi looked at them with his red eyes and said, "Niwatori's name is Niwa Ryouka. She's the one with the green hair."

'What the hell does a chicken have to do with that greenette's name?' Erina thought as she had a look on her face that didn't hide her emotions.

A young blonde man with a black fedora hat burst into the diner and effectively getting everyone's attention. "Has anyone seen Dad?" the blonde male asked, panting from all the running he's done.

"Hey Navi, what happened to Duodecuple this time?" Tsugiyoshi asked the young man, not at all surprised that this was happening.

Navi then said in a frantic tone, "Dad needs to take his meds now and I can't find him! Please tell me that he's here!"

"Everybody, clap your hands, for a wonderful performance." This voice came from right behind the Seven Elites, which in turn, caused them to snapped towards this voice to see a tall man with long gray hair that was tied in a ponytail and wearing a nice suit, clapping his hands. Completely freaked out that none of them noticed this man there, all seven of them leaped out of their skins and seats.

"Duodecuple-san is here," Sōma said with a chuckle after the Seven Elite stopped screaming.

"Dad!" Navi said with relief as he made his way towards his father, handing him some pills when he stood by his side.

Mayu walked into the diner from the upstairs living quarters for the Yukihira family and asked, "I heard multiple people screaming, is Duodecuple-san here today?"

After the gray-haired man swallowed the pills given to him, he stated in an invigorated tone, "I go where ever my 12 Warriors of the Zodiac goes."

Navi placed a hand on his father's shoulder and said, "Dad, please stop saying stuff like that, it's weird."

"12 Warriors of the Zodiac? What's that all about?" Alice asked cluelessly. She's not acting or pretending, she really is clueless. This earned a groan from everyone who wasn't a Totsuki student (minus Sōma).

"Here we go again," the Tsumita brothers groaned out.

Ignoring the current emotion in the diner, Duodecuple explained the whole thing in that same invigorated tone, "Each of the individuals living in the Juuni Taisen was born on a different year of the Chinese Zodiac. *Claps his hands * Shall I introduce them or will my Warriors introduce themselves?"

"We'll introduce ourselves," all the adults (minus Navi and Shiomi) stated at the same time with the same amount of aggravation, probably because they had to do this a number of times before.

Inō did her introduction first, "Inounoshishi; Warrior of the Boar."

Tsukui-sensei was next, "Dotsuku; Warrior of the Dog."

The greenette was next to say, "Niwatori; Warrior of the Rooster."

Yūki-san did her introduction, "Sharyū; Warrior of the Monkey."

The elderly man Tsujiie was next, "Hitsujii; Warrior of the Sheep."

The towering giant then said in a soft voice, "Uuma; Warrior of the Horse..."

The Tsumita brother with the gray shirt was next to say, "Tatsumi Kyoudai Otouto; Warrior of the Snake."

The Tsumita brother with the blue shirt followed by saying, "Tatsumi Kyoudai Ani; Warrior of the Dragon."

Usagi happily cheered, "Usagi; Warrior of the Rabbit."

Aira-san sighed before saying, "Tora; Warrior of the Tiger."

After taking a sip of his water, Kashii-san said," Ushii; Warrior of the Ox."

Tsugiyoshi yawned before saying, "Nezumi; Warrior of the Rat."

All twelve glared at Duodecuple and said in annoyance at the same time, "Happy?"

The gray-haired man smiled and said, "Superb introductions! Everybody, clap your hands!" He was the only one in the diner clapping...

Sōma sighed before making a simple explanation for the Totsuki students (and teacher), "All the tenets of the Juuni Taisen Building Complex were born in different years, thus all their Zodiac signs are different. Duodecuple-san has given each of them a nickname that corresponds to their respective Zodiac."

Okay, that makes more sense, however, the only thing Erina said was, "Wait, they're not all born in different years! There's a set of Identical Twins standing right there!" as she pointed to the to brothers.

This made everyone, but the Totsuki students (and teacher, but minus Sōma) laugh.

Tsugiyoshi was the one to explain, "The Tsumita brothers aren't twins. Nagayuki is older than Takeyasu by 11 Months (9)."

With an extremely confused look on her face, Erina looked at the look-alikes and stuttered out, "B-b-but! Th-they look identical!"

The older Tsumita brother cackled and stated, "There is this very interesting thing called "Genetics". That stuff makes you look the way you do."

The younger Tsumita then added, "And our "Genetics" simply make us look similar, but not identical." Erina turned red with embarrassment, now feeling stupid for her comment.

"Oh? it looks like we have some new faces here in Yukihira," a new voice from the entranceway said.

}{ Omake: to be Continue }{

~}i{~

(1) A macrobiotic diet is a diet that avoids all meat and dairy products and focuses on grain, beans, and vegetables.

(2) Nee-chan is a casual Japanese term for 'Big Sis'. It's usually used by children to refer to a female who's older, but not by much.

(3) I actually looked this up. Michio is a name of Japanese origin that means "Man with the strength of three thousand". Obviously, it's a name for boys. However, I didn't want to change Dotsuku's real name when I gender-bent him to her due to the fact that the Juuni Taisen doesn't have that big of a fandom and thus confusing the people not familiar with Juuni Taisen. So, in this semi-crossover, "Dotsuku" is a woman who was given a male name by her parents (her father mostly). A story that will be told in the next Omake.

(4) Ojīchan is the informal Japanese term for Grandfather. Jiji is a casual term for Grandpa. Please note that Jiji is only appropriate to use when referring to one's own grandfather, calling a person that you are not close to or is a stranger is considered VERY VERY rude in Japan.

(5) "Sensei ni rei" is a basic Dojo etiquette that students say when a sensei enters the dojo. Normally, when a sensei enters a dojo, the students turn to the sensei, say "Sensei ni rei", and bow in respect. The only reason Sōma didn't bow in front of his former dojo sensei is because he was cooking over a stove. If the stove weren't there, he actually would've bowed.

(6) It's true. According to Tsujiie Sumihiko's, a.k.a. Hitsujii, bio in the Juuni Taisen Light Novel he is addicted to smartphone games, which does seem a bit unseemly for someone his age. But, I changed it to video games in this story since I highly doubt any of the Elite 10 actually know any combat smartphone games.

(7) His given name is Souma Yoshimi, a.k.a Uuma. While it does sound similar to Sōma, it's spelled differently and their names are written differently. The Souma in Souma Yoshimori's name uses the Kanji 早間, while the Sōma in Yukihira Sōma's name uses the Kanji 創真. (If you can see the Kanji on website, then you can visibly see the difference in the characters, if not, then just know that the Kanji look nothing alike). I'm using the different spelling so readers know who's who.

(8) Cheese-Otaku is Sumino Tsugiyoshi, aka Nezumi, from the Juuni Taisen: Zodiac Wars. Sorry to say, but no one got the correct answer to the trivia question; therefore, there will be no Omake request given for the next chapter.

(9) According to the "Official Records", Tsumita Nagayuki was born on 11/11 and Tsumita Takeyasu was born on 10/10, but it's obvious that these two are actually twins. However, because of consistency and the fact that there is NO WAY that "Twins" (or siblings in general) can be born within 1 month of each other, they're not going to be twins in this story, but they could pass as twins.

~}i{~

 _ **Gale-Dragon**_ : Okay, I admit, I like Juuni Taisen. More on the characters than the storyline. And I think they are actually interesting, plus having them interact with Sōma is very interesting. I'm hoping that no one minds too much that I'm adding this semi-crossover, but if I want the Juuni Taisen characters in my Shokugeki no Sōma story, I'm doing it. Besides, I do need to have more than just the Totsuki students competing in the Annual Menu Addition Contest, and I think it'll be interesting for some of the Juuni Taisen characters cook.

Also, I'll reveal the reason why half of the Elite 10 was removed freom their Seats later in the story. But I'll be dropping some hint here and there.


	10. Omake Chapter: July 8, Summer Job Day 7

**Gale-Dragon** : I decided to make this Omake a stand-alone chapter because A, it's long (again), and B, I'm behind with writing the story chapter because of my job and I wanted to post something to tell everyone that this story isn't dead.

~}i{~

Omake: Summer Time at Shokujidokoro Yukihira.

}i{ July 8; Summer Job Day 7 }i{

13:52 (1:52 PM) at Shokujidokoro Yukihira...

"Oh? It looks like we have some new faces here in Yukihira," A new voice from the entranceway said.

Everyone turned towards the voice to see a man who appeared to be in his late 50s with mossy green hair that looked to be tied in a double braided (basically braids within a braid) ponytail with a set of sideburns of the same colour, a slightly wide nose, squared jaw, cocoa brown eyes open but both eyes seemed to be sharp, wore a silver shirt with short red sleeves and red hems, wore a pair of khaki slacks with a number of pockets, and black boots. From what Hayama was able to tell, this man seemed to be of mixed nationalities. That was when three teens walked in behind the man, two boys, and one girl.

One of the boys appeared to be around 13-years-old had short raven black hair, a pair fox-like eyes that were open in slits (but no one couldn't see the eye colour), wore a light blue summer yukata with a dark blue floral pattern, and the sounds of getas could be heard from his feet as he took a few steps. The other boy appeared to be around 17 or 18-years-old with mossy green hair tied back in a ponytail that split into a pair of braided twin-tails, a pair of sharp looking shades covering his eyes, a pair of headphones hanging around his neck, bright red shirt with an image of silver computer chip wearing a black business suit and sunglasses with the letters CBI under the image (1), khaki slacks with multiple pockets on the sides, and black shoes with a purple streak on them. The girl appeared to be around 13-years-old, had blond hair with thick black highlights tied in a loose ponytail, had two different coloured eyes, a green (right) eye and a black (left) eye, wore a sunny yellow shirt with image of the British flag and black words written under the flag that said "Of all Trades" (1), khaki slacks that reached her knees, and a pair of open-toed shoes.

Sōma smiled and said, "Andoryū, perfect timing! And yes we have some new people here. Is the Trinity with you?"

The three teens standing by the man then said in unison, "We're here."

Sōma chuckled and asked the trio, "You three participating in the Menu Contest?"

The man, Andoryū, patted the tallest boy on the shoulder and said in a cheerful tone, "Only my daughter will be participating this year, Little Tchaikovsky."

"Chai-cough-ski?" Erina vocalized softly in confusion. The only Chai thing that she was aware of was Chai Tea, but from what this semi-foreign looking man said... It sounded like this weird Chai word was a nickname or something along that line. Erina then raised a brow and when she realized, 'Wait? Did he just call that tall boy his daughter? ... Maybe he's mixing up words, foreigners tend to do that when learning a new language.'

The tall teen took off the sunglasses and hooked them on the shirt collar, revealing golden amber eyes, and said to the man, "Отец (Pronounced: like Otets) (2) is telling the truth Sōma. Kii and Ishi aren't going to be participating in the Contest. Mostly because if all three of us participate while Отец is one of the Judges, the ingredient options will be restricted too much."

"She's right, Little Tchaikovsky," the green haired man stated with a smile.

Now Erina was completely confused. What did he mea- Wait!

Erina stood up and shouted at the tall teen with the amber eyes in shock, "WAIT! YOU'RE A GIRL?!" The other Elites were also unhinged by this.

The tall amber-eyed teen only said in a flat, unfazed tone, "Uh, yeah, so what? You're one too."

The teen in the yukata chuckled and said in an amused tone, "Kon, I think she's just surprised that you're a girl because she thought you were a boy."

The tall teen, Kon, glanced at her blue-wearing friend and stated, "So I can assume she, and those weird six other newbies, think Kii's a girl."

The blond of the trio grumbled out an, "Of course they did."

Now all of the Elites had a WTF look on their faces. So... The teen that they thought was a girl was actually a boy and that the tall teen that they thought was a boy was actually a girl... If their heads could explode, then they would've.

Hayama coughed to get Sōma's attention and asked him, "So that man is Andoryū?"

The blind redhead nodded and said, "Yup, and he's also one of the current Judges for the Annual Menu Addition Contest, you can talk to him after I explain the rules. Oh, that reminds me, Andoryū, you're going to be able to judge Kon's dishes fairly, right?"

The mossy haired man chuckled and said, "I have to, because 1, it's the duty of a Judge, and 2, my little constrictor wouldn't like it if I favored her dish just because she's my venomous little daughter."

Kon rolled her eyes and mumbled a "Отец... I'm not a little girl anymore."

The blond teen with the black highlights, Kii, then said to the tall female, "Kon, you know parents will still call their children their "Little" ones, even if they are fully grown. Mostly because it is a long-term habit."

The boy in the yukata then added, "Kii's right about that, and you know those are the hardest habits to break." Kon looked at her friends and said, "You are also right about that Ishi."

Ryō was the one to ask the oldest Yukihira, "Ano, what do you mean by Andoryū-san being a Judge?"

Sōma wiped his hands on a cloth and said, "Well, since all the Judges are here, I can explain the Rules of the Annual Menu Addition Contest." The blind redhead then moved towards the doorway that connected the kitchen to the diner.

When Sōma was in the doorway, he made the announcement, "For those of you who do know, this'll just be a refresher, but to those who are new, listen carefully. The rules for the Annual Menu Addition Contest are simple. There will be four categories with three rounds each. Appetizer, Main Course, Beverage, and Dessert. Anyone can participate, as long as they adhere to the rules.

First rule, Only one category per person, anyone can enter as long as they know how to cook. The second rule, you are given a budget for each of the three rounds and are not to go over said budget or else it'll affect the score of the dish. The third rule, you are responsible for your own ingredients, meaning you must procurer and cook them yourself. Fourth rule, the four individuals who won the categories in the prior year's Annual Menu Addition Contest must serve a the panel of judges for the current contest alongside the owner of Shokujidokoro Yukihira. Last rule, if anyone within in the contest has either an allergy or intolerance to a certain food item, that said food item is forbidden from being used within the contest. Absolutely NO Exceptions of the last rule whatsoever, and any use of the forbidden ingredient, or ingredients, will be disqualified from the contest immediately, regardless of their current overall score.

Now, in the matter of the judges... The five judges have to judge the dishes by score within these category blocks. Budget, Appeal, Taste, and Creativity. Each block can receive a max number of 5, a maximum score of 20 per dish. Therefore, a max score of 100 per round from all of the Judges. The winner for each category will be the one whose overall score is the closest to 300, the maximum score anyone can receive. This year's judges are Mayu, Yūki-san, Andoryū, and I. Pop's is the Permanente Judge."

That was when Alice said in actual surprise, "Ah! So that's why you're not participating in this contest. You're judging it this time around!" Sōma nodded at the comment.

Suddenly, Mayu stated, "Uh, Sōma, Pop's not here and isn't going to be here for the contest!"

A shocked look appeared on the blind redhead's face when he said, "Ah! You're right! Now we're one judge short!" Mayu then said, "And according to Pop's rules for the judge section... If a Judge is unable to attend the contest, Pops chooses a replacement."

Sōma then added, "Problem is, He's the missing judge. So how do we solve this?"

Hayama raised a brow and asked, "You guys haven't had a situation like this?"

All the Yukihiras said at the same time, "Nope, this is the first time this has happened." That was when the dark-skinned teen suggested, "Then why doesn't Sōma choose the replacement judge in place of his father since he's the oldest Yukihira here."

Andoryū chuckled and stated with a smile, "That's not a bad idea, Little Tchaikovsky. I know I'm alright with it."

Yūki-san then added with a smile, "I like that idea too." "Guess you're choosing a new judge, Sōma," Mayu said with a smile.

Sōma nodded and said cheerfully, "I guess I am." The blind redhead placed the side of his right index finger on his chin to think, before finally saying, "The replacement judge needs to know about the different variety food, how each of the foods should be cooked, and how food items intertwined with one another." Erina flipped her hair with confidence. It was completely obvious to the honey blonde that She would be chosen as a replacement judge, there was no better option in her mind.

Tsugiyoshi then added, "Don't forget that this new judge can't be biased in any way since they Must be fair in their judgment of the dishes," as he eyed Erina. It was obvious what the gray-haired teen was implying. Tsukui-sensei glanced from Tsugiyoshi to Erina, it was obvious to the daycare teacher that something happened between the two.

Sōma then vocalized a thoughtful, "You got a point, Yoshi. Mayu and I have a pretty good and fair judgment. I also know Andoryū can make a fair Judgement, even with his own daughter, and Yūki-san is way too honest to even think of favoritism." The two in question chuckled at the comment, Andoryū did his in amusement while Yūki-san did hers with a soft blush on her cheeks (probably because what Sōma said about her was true).

Erina glared at Tsugiyoshi, who just glanced at her without much care about what she thought.

"Ah! I know who would make a perfect Judge for the contest!" Sōma suddenly exclaimed as he snapped his fingers, then added cheerfully, "And that person is right here!" Erina gave Tsugiyoshi a smug smile. She knew that the oldest Yukihira would undoubtedly choose her, despite not being on good terms.

Sōma walked over to the barstools and asked, "Kashii-san, would you mind being our replacement judge?" During this, Kashii-san had a couple of strands of noodles from his Chicken and Shrimp Raman dangling out of his mouth. He slurped the strands up and started chewing on them.

This caused Erina to bolt out of her chair and shout with rage, "How DARE you NOT choose ME for a Judge for a food contest! I have the Perfect Pallete to do so! Even for some Diner Contest!" Everyone from the Juuni Taisen Building Complex turned to the honey blonde as if she grew an extra head.

Then Usagi said, "Umm, you're supposed to use your indoor voice when you're inside."

That was when the Tsumita brother with the blue shirt asked Erina, "Why should Sōma-chan even think about choosing you to be a judge for the Annual Menu Contest?"

The Tsumita brother with the gray shirt than added, "Yeah, why should he? Eiji's a perfect choice for a food judge, even if he can't cook."

Tsujiie-san coughed a few times and stated, "I believe that no one is supposed to bring that up anymore, due to Eiji taking basic cooking classes."

The person in question was only chewing on the food in his mouth.

Sōma was the one to say, "I chose Kashii-san because I know he can make a fair decision for the contest, therefore, he's a perfect judge. *Turns an ear towards Erina* I have yet to note a fair decision from you, Bratty Princess." This made a few of the other patrons chuckle, mostly because of the nickname the blind redhead had given the honey blond.

Mayu folded her arms and stated firmly, "Ditto on that, and might I also add that She's not the only one who has been making poor choices." Saitou gave a few glances to his fellow Elites, he wonders if the female Yukihira twin was implying about the utter failures on the Allergy/Intolerance Test.

Sōma then turned his attention towards Kaishii-san and asked, "Kashii-san, your answer, please?"

The long-haired man swallowed the food in his mouth and stated, "I am very honored that you have selected me to replace your father for the Annual Menu Addition Contest; therefore, I accept your offer. However, I will not consume anything with alcohol."

Sōma chuckled out a "Fair enough. Besides, Mayu and I are minors, so alcohol is not allowed to be used in this year's Menu Addition. You don't have to worry about them popping up in the contest." Kashii-san nodded in approval.

Mayu placed four pieces of paper on a nearby table and stated, "Sign-up sheets are here. The Catagories are listed at the top of each paper, and as you heard, you can only pick one category. Be aware, that the different categories have a different budget, so choose carefully. Sign-ups are going to be for the next two days, then we'll start by handing out the budgets for the first round, make sure you stay within the budgets. They're easy points per dish if you keep on budget and you lose points if you go over budget."

Sōma then stated, "Before we actually start the sign-ups, we're going to keep a list of Forbbiden Ingredients for the Menu Addition Contest, like we do every year. Since Andoryū is on the panel of Judges and has a pretty severe allergy to pork, Pork is now forbidden from being used. Since Kon is going to participating in this year's contest, Chocolate is also going to be on the forbidden list. Also, since three of the five Judges can't drink alcohol, that's on the Forbidden List. Mayu will let everyone know if more ingredients are going to be added to the Forbidden List by the end of the sign-ups."

This made Akanegakubo all huffy and mad when she vented at the tall amber-eyed teen, "What do you have against chocolate? Chocolate is the bestest and cutest ingredient in the world!"

Kon eyed the short 3rd-year and stated flatly, "You opinion about chocolate is debatable, but if it'll make you understand, I'll explain it simply. I have a nasty intolerance to chocolate."

Tsukasa looked between Kon and Andoryū and asked in confusion, "But if the two of you are father and daughter, how come you have different ailments?"

Andoryū sighed as he placed a hand on his cheek and said, "My little constrictor has inherited a lot of my poorer traits, but she got lucky and didn't inherit my allergy to pork. However, she did inherit my brilliant Midori's intolerance to chocolate."

Hayama raised a brow at this and asked, "So I take it your household doesn't use chocolate for Valentine's Day?"

Kon visibly grimaced when she stated sourly, "I hate that holiday and White Day, because of all those gut-wrenching confections. The only non-chocolate food that they push is strawberries, and those are usually drenched in chocolate. *Growls* My stomach already feels like it has rocks in it from just thinking about it."

Andoryū gave a nervous chuckle and explained, "Our household tends to have a tradition of making sweets from fruits to give to our friends instead of using chocolate, but that doesn't stop people from giving my little constrictor chocolate during Valentine's Day." THAT explains the dislike for a holiday about love.

While this conversation was taking place, some of the other patrons were signing the sheets of papers. Ryō signed-up for the Appetizer category, Hayama signed-up for the Main Course category (on the insistence from Shiomi-sensei), and then Kon signed-up for the Main Course as well. Yumi hopped off the barstool and skipped over to the sign-up sheets and wrote under Desserts.

While Erina was still angry for not being picked for a tasting judge she had an idea to get back at the blind redhead. She would enter this 'contest' thing, win it, and have her wonderous dish on Yukihira's diner menu forever. THAT would be the perfect revenge for Erina. (I'm hoping she remembers the rules of the Menu Addition Contest...)

Erina and the Seven Elites walked over to the sign-up sheets, but all were stopped by Mayu. "Saitou-san, you can participate in the contest, the rest of you, NO! You six aren't entering," Mayu stated sternly as she let the 5th Seat by to sign-up for the contest.

This got on Erina's nerves when she asked, "We can obviously cook, which WAS the main rule here, so why the hel-"

Mayu slaps a hand over the honey blonde's mouth and hiss out quietly, "NO swearing or cursing! There are children present!" The Elites glance at Yumi and Hiro at this comment. Mayu removed her hand and then continued in a normal tone, "The reason I'm not allowing you six into the Annual Menu Contest is because there's already an Allergy and an Intolerance food item on the Forbidden List, AND might I remind you six that you Failed the Allergy/Intolerance test. There's no way I'm risking their wellbeing with you idiots."

Hayama, Alice, and Ryō couldn't help but stare at those six Elites. Mind you, they were a bit surprised that Yukihira Mayu was calling six of the Elite 10 idiots but taking the context into consideration... It seemed like it was a very valid statement.

"Wow... No wonder you seven need this camp to improve your cooking skills. Well, I guess six at the moment," Tsukui-sensei stated before taking a sip of her water. Yumi hopped into the seat next to her mother with a smile.

Sōma sighed and stated sternly, "Listen you six, Mayu has a major point. None of you can participate in this year's Menu Addition contest if you can't pass the Allergy/Intolerance Test. We are NOT putting our patrons in danger because of your negligence, period."

That was when Tsukasa asked nervously, "So if we pass the Allergy/Intolerance test... We can participate in the contest...?"

Mayu folded her arms and stated, "You six have by the end of the sign-up period to pass the Allergy/Intolerance Test with at least a 75%. However, I'm adding a question on the test that you MUST get right if you want to actually participate in the Menu Addition Contest. I rather not take a chance with you guy getting lucky guesses to get that 75%."

Sōma then added a "That's fair. I think I know that the question is anyway." Shiomi-sensei quickly scurried to Mayu and asked what the question was since the short woman WAS a teacher at Totsuki. Mayu quietly whispered it into the sensei's ear, being extra careful not to let the Elites know what it was.

"Eh? That's the question?" Shiomi-sensei asked in confusion.

Mayu replied with a nod and said, "It is. You'd be surprised how many people overlook that." Shiomi-sensei thought for a bit, then nodded in agreement. The female Yukihira DID have a valid point. So the Totsuki teacher allowed the changes to the test.

As more customers came in they walked over to the sign-up sheets, and the Seven Elites' break was nearly up.

That was when Saitou Somei walked over to the daycare teacher and asked rather bluntly, "Tis Michio thy actual name?"

"Excuse me?" Tsukui-sensei asked with a raised brow. The tone she used seemed to indicate that she felt a bit offended by the question. The daycare teacher then stated with a huff, "Michio is the name on my birth certificate, so yeah, it's my given name."

This actually surprised the Seven Elites.

Kobayashi then said in shock, "But Michio's a guy's name! You're a gal!" Tsukui-sensei rolled her eyes and said, "I'm very aware of that. My dad thought 'Michio' would be the perfect name for his "Firstborn Son" and didn't listen to mom when she said to have a girl's name in mind just in case."

Kinokuni then asked, "What do you mean by that?"

The daycare teacher rolled her eyes again and said, "To put it simply, for about four generations anyone born into the Tsukui family was born male. My father assumed that his firstborn child would be a boy, so he already picked out a boy's name. My mom, on the other hand, wanted to at least have a girl's name in mind just in case their firstborn was a girl. But dad was positive that he would have a son, so he already had the name 'Michio' written on my birth certificate before I was even born. When dad came to the hospital to see mom and I, he saw me in mom's arms wrapped in a pink blanket and asked, "Did the hospital run out of blue blankets?" Mom shook her head no and asked him, "Instead of asking about the blanket, do you want to hold your daughter?" Mom told me that the look on my dad's face was utterly priceless. *Chuckles* I can only imagine how he looked when he realized just how badly he jumped the gun."

"Grandma has yet to let grandpa forget about that," Yumi said with a giggle. Tsukui-sensei smiled and patted her daughter on the head.

Sōma chuckled and stated, "That's still a funny story, no matter how many times I've heard it."

The daycare teacher chuckled and added, "Agreed. It's a lesson to Never make assumptions about anything, and to always make sure you have a backup plan handy just in case your first plan goes awry."

Mayu smiled and stated, "Too true, and it's applicable to everyone and everything."

Andoryū walked over to Hayama and Shiomi-sensei and asked, "How are those Sweet Neem saplings you two are growing doing?"

Eizan adjusted his glasses and stated, "What are you talking about? We're in Japan, you can't grow Curry Plants here."

Shiomi-sensei huffed and stated, "You know Nothing about the progression of Spice Growing."

Sōma's ears perked and said, "Oh, Andoryū how'd you know about the Curry Leave saplings? I never told you about them in the emails I sent you?"

Andoryū chuckled and said, "The smell of the Sweet Neem is all over these two. *Leans down a bit and sniffs Hayama's scent* I'd say the saplings are of mature age if I'm reading the smell right."

Shiomi-sensei was surprised by this when she said, "You're right! We just trimmed some fresh leaves off a mature Sweet Neem sapling that we were growing, but that was two days ago!"

Hayama then asked, "You got all that from a faint scent?"

Andoryū chuckled and stated, "I have a very acute sense of smell. *Sniffs air and turns to the Seven Elites* Uh-oh, Ishi, you might want to avoid the little girl with the bear toy, she's one of those sugar-loving pastry chefs. The tall one with a scar over his nose is a sushi chef. The stern looking girl with the small braided twin-tails prefers to make soba. *Cringes a bit* Za redheaded girl might want to cut back on za "exotic" dishes, and all zose snacks in general, her breath is zat of a garbage disposal that hasn't been cleaned out in a week."

Mayu choked out a snicker while Sōma said, "Oh, you must be talking about Kobayashi-senpai. I kinda thought that she just didn't brush her teeth on a regular basis."

Yumi and Hiro gave an audible "Eeeeewwww!" at that comments.

Andoryū then turned to Alice, Ryō, and Hayama and stated, "The Albino does Molecular Gastronomy, the bord looking boy's likes making seafood, and I guess you're Hayama since you have the smell of spices."

Other than the fact that it seemed like the 2nd Seat had bad breath, all the Totsuki students (minus Sōma) were surprised that this Andoryū guy knew some of their Specialties just by the smell on them.

Sōma chuckled and said, "Nothing gets past that nose of your's Andoryū."

The green-haired man gave a grin at the Totsuki students and stated, "I do hope you children make the Totsuki name proud and give my little constrictor a good challenge."

So this guy Knew what Totsuki is! And that THEY were students there!

This seemed to interest Saitou, now making him more psyched for the Menu Addition! The other Totsuki students too! (Once they pass the Allergy/Intolerance test).

~}i{~

Omake: Too Be Continued...

~}i{~

(1) This Omake Trivia will be guessing what the pun of the two images describe (please note, that I created these myself and that there are no shirts that I'm aware of that has these images). I do require the answers for both shirt images to win the Omake Request.

(2) Отец is Russian word for Father.

~}i{~

 **Gale-Dragon** : I have decided that If I have finished writing a Summer Omake before I finish writing a chapter and if it's more than 2,500 words (Which is very likely), I'll publish the Summer Omakes as a stand-alone.

~}i{~


	11. 10: Start the Autumn Elections

**Gale-Dragon** : Finally, I completed chapter 10! I'm sure there are a few errors that slipped by, but anyway, Enjoy.

~}i{~

"Talking"

'Thinking'

 _Emphasizing Stress_

(Author's Comments)

~}i{~

Shokugeki no Sōma Nashi Saito de Chīfu. Chapter 10; Start the Autumn Elections.

~}i{~

Senzaemon cleared his throat, unfolded the paper to read, and said into the microphone, "As Headmaster of Totsuki, I hereby declare… That I, Nakiri Senzaemon, use one of my Nulls to remove the following students from the Elite 10 Council with a heavy heart... Kobayashi Rindou, Akanegakubo Momo, Kinokuni Nene, Eizan Etsuya, and * with a heavy sigh and an even heavier heart * Nikiri Erina... Over this past summer, these five students have violated, not only the rules of Totsuki but also the rules that have been set in place at their summer employment… And because of their negligence of said rules… * Takes a deep breath * A customer has suffered greatly. Therefore, I believe that they are no longer fit to be a part of the most prestigious group within the walls of Totsuki…"

The arena was eerily silent. No one said a single word. No one has made a single noise. No one had any idea what could have happened over the summer to remove half of the Elite 10 Council from power.

Sōma huffed and stated, "Good riddance to bad rubbish."

Mayu turned to her twin brother and said, "Agreed, more along what they did than anything."

The blind redhead turned an ear to his sister and said sourly, "They certainly deserve what they got." Hayama, Ryō, and Alice nodded in agreement at the comment. After what they've seen during the summer, how could they Not agree?

As much as the Polaris group, Ikumi, and the Aldini Twins wanted to know what happened over the summer, they knew now was not the time to ask. They would ask the Yukihira Twins after the preliminaries have concluded.

The Headmaster then added, "While I have removed these five from the Council of Elite 10, they will continue to work on the Autumn Elections as temporary members of the Elite 10 due to consistency and timeframe. They will, however, have no other authority for anything else and will lose all of their power as Elite 10 Members after the Autumn Elections have concluded."

With the Headmaster's speech done, he walked off the stage. The announcer then said over the speakers, "Ladies and gentlemen, we will now explain the rules for the Autumn Election Preliminaries. The basic regulations have already been communicated via the template of information mailed to each of you. The theme of the event is Curry Dishes. You will be permitted to use ingredients and utensils available at the stadiums as well as whatever you bring yourself. You will have three hours to complete your dish. Next, in regards to the number of students who will qualify for the finals… Of the 61 students participating in the preliminary round, Only eight will advance to the finals. In other words, only the top four finishers from each block will qualify for the finals, which are to be held in this auditorium."

For the majority of the 60 1st-year students, a spark of chills coursed down their spines (Mayu wasn't particularly feeling any sort of similar emotions at the moment). After all, only eight will make it to the finals and the rest of the 52 will be eliminated in the preliminaries.

The announcer continued, "Participants, you may now proceed to your respective halls. In approximately one hour, at 11 (AM) the preliminaries will begin."

With that, all but our main cast of characters have stampeded out of the Heaven's Moon Arena.

Our main cast of characters split into the two groups, A and B respectively, wished each other luck and headed towards the respective areas.

}i{

(Sōma and Mayu arrived early, with their ingredients so Sōma could memorize the cooking stations)

At 11 (AM) exactly, all 61 students (Mayu included) selected for the event were in their assigned area, and the Autumn Elections has officially begun!

}{

There is a brand of curry known as Curry Princess. Haubi Foods first put it on shelves in 1990. Since then, it has sold over 70 billion units, making it the highest-selling pouch curry brand in the world. The most well-recognized part of their packaging is the picture of the adorable twin girls on the front.

With that bit of information is out of the way, we can now introduce the final judge for Block A.

Four minutes later...

Eizan was talking with a blonde woman (with a relatively heavy chest) wearing a white dress. The former Ninth Seat then said, "I believe I informed you that the start of the cooking would be 11 (AM) sharp."

The blonde woman took off her sunglasses and said, "You know for well how difficult it is for us to find even one open minute in our schedule. You actually have the nerve to say that to my face? Well, Eizan-san?"

Preliminaries Block A Head Judge: Haubi Foods CEO, Sendawara Natsume.

The Totsuki students in the stands paled at the sight of the blonde as she sat in her seat. "NO WAY! They got one of those sisters to be the judge?!" Someone in the stands nearly shouted.

Sendawara Natsume then told Eizan and a huff, "Ugh! You manage to sweet-talk me into coming, Eizan-san, but do you honestly think the students will amuse me?"

Eizan then grumbled, "Feh! All I had to do was throw money at you… *The blonde woman then snapped "Did you say something?"* *Eizan speaking in a normal tone* Not a thing. Please enjoy this year's Autumn Elections to your heart's content, Lady Natsume."

The twin grandchildren of the founder of Haubi Foods, Sandawara Natsume and Orie first entered the culinary world when they posed for the picture on the Curry Princess box. Since then, they have climbed to the top of the Curry Pantheon and now sit at the pinnacle of Japan's Curry market, which is worth an estimated ¥200 billion a year. Princesses no more, they are now called the "Queens of Curry".

"They managed to bring in that big of a celebrity to judge?" One student in the stands stated before another student commented that Eizan-senpai was incredible. Then it made them wonder what he, and the other four, could've done over the summer to get him kicked off of the Elite 10.

Eizan handed Natsume a microphone so she could make a speech. She then said into the device, "Listen, children. After the war, Japan's curry market saw a massive expansion, ripening into the powerhouse it is today where curry is recognized as the nation's comfort food. This unmitigated prosperity has left me, board. What I'm looking for as a business leader and as a life-long lover of curry is a revolutionary new recipe that will change the future of Japanese curry! Show me a curry dish that will have my tongue dancing and delight."

With that, the majority of the selected 1st-year students were just about ready to wet themselves just from the sheer knowledge of who the blonde woman was. The minority, however...

Ikumi just kept cooking her dish, not caring who the current judges were. She was planning on having her dish satisfy the judges.

Ryō seemed to be prepping the basic ingredients in a very lackluster matter. Once that was done, Ryō unwrapped his flame printed bandanna from his wrist and wrapped it around his forehead, the moment the knot was tied Ryō became a wild beast as he started madly cutting up the lobster he had! This certainly took everyone by surprise, well... Almost everyone.

Sakaki Ryoko seemed to be using Koji, a type of fermented rice with mold Aspergillus oryzae, in her dishes. That was when she picked up a jar of something black and sticky. This made her "Hidden Fans" gasp in shock.

Akira Hayama filled the immediate area with the scent of the spices he had just added to his dish. He had the head of the Sea Beam (fish) for a dish known as Fish-Head Curry. A dish originating in Singapore and Malaysia, it uses the whole head of a white-meat fish so that even delicately flavorful parts, like the eyes and cheeks, can be enjoyed. To a lot of spectators' surprise, Hayama was making Naan as a companion to the Fish-Head Curry, which was a fairly common pairing. Hayama then added a pinch of lemongrass to a very large pot of his curry, filling the arena with the fresh scent of coconut milk.

Ibusaki Shun filled his side of the arena with smoke as he made his dish. The pungently spicy aroma filled the nostrils of the nearby patrons.

Natsume placed an elbow on the table, placed the corresponding knuckle to her chin, and said, "Well, well, it looks like this may be mildly amusing after all. *Turns her attention to Eizan* So, Eizan-san? Who do you favor?"

The glasses-wearing 2nd-year student placed index finger to his chin and said, "A good question. I wouldn't say I favor him... But, *A gleam cast over his glasses* there IS one guy whose skill I want to see for myself."

At the moment, Sōma was sitting on a barstool chair, who was somehow sleeping and balancing on the chair. This did surprise a very high number of people within the arena. Mayu, on the other hand, didn't seem to indicate that this thing was unusual for her as she filled a strainer with plums.

Sōma was still in his sitting, sleeping state when the aroma from his cooking pot started to seep through the edges of the lid. The moment the smell hit the blind redhead's nostrils, he awoke immediately and said, "It's time!" He waved his hand over the pot, feeling the heat in the air to pinpoint where the lid might be. Sōma found the lid and yanked it off the pot. The moment he did that, the aroma from his curry filled the surrounding air.

That curry scent hit Hayama's nose at full force.

One of the students in the stands stood up from there seat and shouted as they pointed at the giant screens overhead, "Look at what's in the pot!" Sōma's pot was rice mixed with vegetables and spices. That was when a spectating student shouted, "If he's mixing them together, that means... The transfer student is making Curry Risotto!"

Sōma sniffed the air. He could smell the scent of cinnamon nearby. Sōma then said without turning, "Hey, Hayama. I didn't know your kitchen was near mine."

"What're you making?" Hayama asked out of nowhere, confusing Sōma for a second. Hayama then said, "It has apple, banana, and carrots in it. You mashed them into a paste. That created the creamy texture a risotto needs."

Sōma chuckled and said, "Whoa, you got it in one go. Your nose really is on par with Andoryū's nose~."

Hayama did smile at the comment, but he couldn't help but think, 'But there's still something hidden. He didn't choose any usual spices for the fragrance, so what is he using to create this complex of a scent?'

That was when Sōma interrupted Hayama's thoughts by saying in a relatively cheerful voice, "I was still practicing this recipe until just this morning, y'know! The sleep deprivation must've caught up with me a little earlier. When I took in the scent, I dozed off! I'm the one who usually tells Mayu not to do this kind of thing, but I end up doing them too. So, whoops on my part."

Hayama couldn't help but wonder if any sort of pressure could actually faze the blind redhead at all when he asked, "Are you going to be okay with cooking right now on such little sleep?"

Sōma gave Hayama a small wave as he said with a smile, "I'm good, I'll just take a nap when the preliminaries are over." A swaetdrop appeared on the dark-skinned teen's head. "You better be bringing your "A" game, Hayama, because I'm not holding back, neither is Ryō," Sōma stated with a smirk. Hayama smirked back.

}i{ Meanwhile, in Block B }i{

For 50 years, one high-class Chinese restaurant has flourished in Yokohama's Chinatown. The heir set to inherit that prestigious establishment… Hojo Miyoko, a first-year student of Tostuki and one of the 30 students participating within the B Block of the Autumn Elections is that heir.

Hojo Miyoko was skillfully cooking spices, vegetables, and rice in a giant iron wok while wearing a bright red, traditional Chinese chef work dress (I'm just guessing/assuming that that's what she's wearing because I doubt a standard Chinese dress is suitable for the kitchen). People in the stands were amazed by how the Hojo heir was flinging the huge wok around like it weighed nothing.

It was obvious to the audience that Hojo Miyoko would make the final 8 cut.

Miyoko glanced at Megumi, who was prepping all her ingredients, as she remembered the interaction she had with her when they learned that they would be participating in the Autumn Elections.

}{ Flashback }{

Miyoko managed to corner Megumi before she could find her friends and dormmates.

"I heard that you went against Shinomiya Kojirō during the Hell Camp," Miyoko stated in a firm tone. All Megumi was able to get out was an "Eh?" as she started trembling.

Who could blame her? Megumi was pulled aside out of nowhere by at tall, very strong gal her age.

Megumi was still trembling when she asked, "A-a-ano!"

Miyoko folded her arms and stated, "You really can't judge a book by its cover, can you."

Megumi stuttered out, "Ano! T-that w-wasn't a-an o-official m-match! I mean.. It t-technically was c-considered a t-tie-"

Miyoko suddenly punched the wall behind Megumi, shattering the section hit and scaring the country girl half-way out of her skin. Miyoko then shouted, "YOU TIED WITH THE FORMER FIRST SEAT!?"

Megumi squeaked in fear and stuttered out, "Th-th-the d-d-dish w-w-was m-m-my id-d-dea, b-b-but S-S-Sōma cook-"

Miyoko interrupted by saying in a tone that seemed to be a mixture of disappointed and surprised, "Yukihira Sōma. The blind transfer student?"

Megumi stuttered out an "Ano, y-ye-"

Before Miyoko then interrupted by snapping, "You actually allowed a man to use YOUR ideas?"

Megumi stuttered out an "A-ano, y-yes, bu-"

"You allowed yourself to become an assistant to some measly blind cook?" Miyoko hissed out before the country girl could finish talking.

That did it, THAT made the country girl snap.

Megumi angrily grabbed Miyoko by the collar and snapped, "Listen here! Ya Riffraff! Ya don't know squat about what happened during that match! Sōma's a very capable chef despite being blind! And ya still can't seem ta see that no matter what he does! So hows about ya smarten up and actually start looking at his skills as a chef rather than his inability ta see!"

Miyoko was taken back by this. The country girl went from timid to raging in a snap.

The moment Megumi realized what happened, she went back to her stuttering personality by quickly apologizing and scurry away to find her friends before the other students could notice her out of character outburst.

}{ End Flashback }{

Miyoko watched Megumi run out of the stadium to get the final ingredient for her dish.

After a couple of minutes, the country girl came back in with a Monkfish hanging from a hook by its mouth.

Megumi was planning on butchering the Monkfish Tsurushigiri style. After all, there is no other real way to butcher a Monkfish due to its gelatinous skin making it too slippery to be cut on a traditional cutting board. Also, the term Tsurushigiri can loosely translate to Cutting While Hanging.

Megumi took a deep breath and thought back to when Sōma told her to just focus on what she was cooking. And that's what she's going to do. Besides, she knows what she's doing. She'll make a curry dish that'll warm the hearts of the judges.

~}i{~ Time Skip, Cooking Time; Over. Judging for Block B; Over. Judging for Block A; almost Over. (As much as I want to write in all the cooking methods, scenes, all the harsh judging, all the judges reactions to the dishes, and the points that are given... It's a long write, it's pretty much identical to the Manga/Anime, and it doesn't really Need to be written in. So, I'll just be writing in Sōma's and Mayu's dishes). ~}i{~

The announcer then said over the speakers, "Next up is Yukihira Sōma! Please serve your dish!"

After placing the five servings for the judges and to servings for Hayama and Ryō on a trolley, Sōma pushed it towards the judges (with Mayu directing him). The blind redhead placed each of the servings one at a time after feeling the countertops where they judges sat. This in turn, really piqued all five of the judges' interest.

"Oh? So you're this Blind Chef of Totsuki I've been hearing about," Natsume said as she rested her elbows on the table.

Sōma placed a hand on the cart (more to verify that the cart hasn't moved) and stated, "I don't care what kind of dribble you've heard, but I'm pretty sure I'm the only blind student attending Totsuki." The two extra judges couldn't help but blink at the comment, but the two other main judges (Minatozaka Makito & Koda Shrigenoshin) couldn't help but grin at the comment.

Natsume rested her chin on the palm of her left hand and asked rather casually, "Oh? So you don't listen to what the cooking community has to say about you?"

"Oi! Natsume-Sama!" One of the extra judges vocalized.

Sōma started wheeling the cart away when he said, "Why should I care about what people like you say about me? After all, it seems that all people like you do is act like a parrot. Always repeating the same thing over and over and over. Quite frankly, it makes those words and actions completely worthless, no matter who they might be."

He stops the cart at the table that Mayu was currently using and asked her softly, "Oi, Mayu, you think they understood what I meant?"

Mayu huffed and stated, "Doubt it. Maybe your dish'll help them understand." The blind redhead nodded at that.

Once the lids were taken off Sōma's dishes, everyone was rather surprised at what they saw. An omelet.

This confused the majority of the patrons in the audience because they thought that the blind redhead was making a risotto.

Erina couldn't help but stare at the omelet with hunger in her eyes, even if the lines made from the sauce on the omelet were crooked and made it slightly unappealing.

"Hayama-kun," Sōma said with a mischievous smile before asking, "Would you like to take the first bite?" Ryō was a bit annoyed by the fact that the blind redhead asked the spice master to take the first bite, but noticing the way Sōma was smiling made the seafood specialist wonder if there was a particular reason for that choice.

Hayama used to spoon to cut open the omelet. The moment the incision was made, another aroma bomb detonated and filled the stadium with the fragrance of a risotto. Sōma gave a chuckle when he told Hayama, "I guess both of us had the same idea, at least up until this point." Now Ryō understood why the blind redhead asked the spice master to make the first incision.

Sōma then said happily, "I call it "Yukihira-Quality Curry Risotto Omelette". Just be careful, it's still hot."

Everyone who had a dish of the curry omelet took a spoonful, blew on it because it was still steaming, then ate it.

The flavor of the dish was like a sudden, well-placed, knockout, sucker punch to the face.

The Curry Risotto Omelette had a rich, thick mix of chicken and beef bouillon. Granted beef and onions sautéed in butter until savory and tender, their umami-filled juices soaking into the rice. The creamy risotto melting into one with the soft mildly sweet eggs. The oyster sauce accented with a touch of honey had a mildly tart flavor that was thick and heavy. Together with the curry risotto, it creates two different layers of flavor.

Koda Shrigenoshin was the one to say, "I see! While Hayama's dish was a bomb going from no aroma to powerful aroma… This dish is instead an induced explosion! The different fragrances from the inner risotto and that out to her sauce come at you and waves, tempting you into the next bite."

As Hayama chewed, he thought, 'But that's not all. How did he make the flavor the deep? The strong aroma and a hint of bitterness mean he used cumin and cardamon. The sting on the tongue comes from cloves. I can smell the fragrance of several spices, but those are just surface things. Where is this full-bodied death that ties it all together coming from?!' Ryō was able to detect something fruity before Hayama suddenly exclaimed, "Mango chutney!"

Natsume then shouted, "Chutney?! Is that all it took to give this dish such a deep flavor?!"

Chutney; also spelled "Chatney" or "Chatni". Chutney is a South Asian condiment. Spices and herbs are mixed with mashed fruit or vegetables and then simmered into a paste. A wide variety of combinations are possible, resulting in chutneys that can be sweet, spicy, or even minty.

Sōma picked up a mason jar, unscrewed the lid, sniffed the contents, then said, "I use my family's homemade mango chutney recipe! I mixed a dollop of this in with the rice when I steamed it."

'Oh, so that's what was in that jar,' both Hayama and Ryō thought at the same time.

Marui was the one who explained, "The mango acts as an axle, running through it and connecting the disparate flavors of all the spices and giving a deeper, full-bodied flavor to the overall dish. In a way, it's practical, applied spice tech! In India where it originated, chutneys are always served on the side as condiments. It's only in Japan that chutney is added directly to a curry." The nearby Polaris dorm members and Nikumi were rather surprised by this tidbit of information.

Chapelle-sensei then told Shiomi-sensei (who was sitting right next to him), "It's unconventional, to say the least, from the standpoint of original Indian curry. However, by using the chutney he massively improves the flavor and richness of the overall dish without resorting to using an access of oils or animal products."

Shiomi can help but mutter, "So he really did listen to some of my sudden lectures when I was at his diner over the summer..." Chapelle-sensei turned to a shorter colleague with a raised brow. Shiomi-sensei turn pink and told the strict teacher, "I-I'll ex-explain later!"

}{ In the VIP stands }{

Isshiki couldn't help but smile and say, "An omelet that could have gotten him expelled at the cooking camp. And a risotto failed in his matchup against his dad." Erina couldn't help but wonder what the upperclassman was talking about as he continued. With a chuckle, Isshiki said, "Who would have thought he'd put the two together as his dish for a competition this massive! *Chuckles happily* He really hasn't let a single one of those 490 losses go to waste."

Fumio snickered when she said, "Sure, it sounds good when you put it that way. He has no intention to let a failure state a failure, making sure he has learned from each and every one of those failures in order to make any even stronger dish. However, I am rather surprised that he managed to come up with something like this while he was running a diner and judging a contest." Isshiki could only smile at that.

Erina couldn't help but remember what happened after THAT day in the diner at those words.

}{ Flashback }{

"You five are not taking one step into My kitchen without My approval, even if it is just to wash dishes! Especially after yesterday!" Sōma snapped angrily at Erina, Eizan, Nene, Momo, and Rindou, making all of them flinch.

Right next to them, the board that had the Seven Elite members' names on it had five squares blacked out, (those squares were right where the five names of the Elite mentioned in the previous paragraph and the column for "Kitchen Rights" intersect).

Growling, Sōma snapped, "I knew I shouldn't have let any of you enter the contest! *Calms down a bit* But that in itself would have gone against the rules, and you guys did deserve a chance to let your skills shine."

Erina then said with a peeved look on her face, "But it was an accident!"

Sōma angrily snapped at the honey blonde, "An accident that should have been very Easy to Avoid, had any of You five Idiots been paying any sort of Attention to What you were using!"

All five of the Elites hung their heads.

The blind redhead was right... The whole thing could have easily been avoided...

Sōma turned his back to them, heading towards the kitchen, and said, "You better learn from this abysmal failure, or else it'll happen again and there is a good chance that next time someone will die because of it."

}{ End Flashback }{

Erina muttered softly to herself, "Learn... From... Failures..."

}{ Back to the Arena }{

The judges just couldn't get enough of the curry risotto omelet! The flavors were intermingling with one another so smoothly and cohesively, it was practically impossible to say anything negative about it. To the judges, the curry risotto omelet was like a perfectly executed acupuncture massage along the tongue.

This dish was practically on par with Hayama's dish! A battle for first place between titans!

The Judges submitted their points... And the overall score silenced everyone in the audience, as well as the MC. It was a little too quiet for Sōma.

Sōma finally broke the silenced by asking, "Ano, did the power go out? Everything got really quiet. What happened?"

Hayama chuckled and finally said, "It seems as though we have tied for first place, Sōma."

Sōma's overall score was 94 out of a possible 100, same as Hayama. But unlike Hayama, Sōma got higher individual numbers. Mayu couldn't help but smile proudly at her older twin brother.

The scoreboard above the stadium added the new score to its roster.

Next up was Mayu.

She placed her dishes (with lids on top of them) in front of the judges. When the judges took the lids off of the plates, they were greeted by a deep shade of purple from the bowl and the aroma of plums hit their noses.

Mayu held out her hand, encouraging the judges to eat, and stated with a smirk on her face, "Allow me to present to you my "Yukihira-Style Purple Plum Curry"! Careful it's hot."

People from the audience started murmuring, "Plum Curry?!" "What is she thinking?" "How the hell do plums work in curry?" "Is she actually trying to anger the judges?"

Natsume was obviously not pleased with what she was seeing when she snapped, "How exactly is THIS suppose to be Curry?"

As if nothing was wrong, Mayu said happily, "What, can't you tell, Miss self-entitled Curry Princess? It has all the ingredients for curry, the spices, and has the consistency. I just happen to use a food item that's just not normal for curry, that's all. Besides, I just couldn't stop thinking of plums because of an animation I was working on."

Sōma then chuckled out, "Ah, so that's what happens when you only listen to 'Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy' during the entire summer. Ya know, you could've asked Midori if you could borrow her CD of the Nutcracker."

Mayu pouted at her twin and said in the same pouty tone, "I would've done so and finished the animation a few weeks early if I didn't have to also work on any stupid curry dish for something ridiculously pointless as an election I wasn't supposed to be a part of."

Sōma tilted his head to the side and said, "You still mad about that? But then again, I really can't blame you. You're not a Totsuki student, therefore you shouldn't even have your name selected for the Autumn Elections list."

Mayu puffed her cheeks and stated in an annoyed tone, "Sounds to me like the people who made the list only put in a half-assed amount of work and didn't bother with double-checking anything."

Hayama interrupted the twins' odd banter by asking, "Ano, is now really the time to talk about that? The Judges haven't even tasted your dish Mayu."

Mayu folded her arms, shrugged, and stated, "Oh, I don't care whether they eat it or not, all I needed to do was "Submit" a Curry Dish to the Judges. Which I did, so what happens afterward doesn't concern me since I am not a student of Totsuki."

Ryō then stated lackadaisically, "Oi, did you even put any effort into making that purple curry if you don't care if the judges eat it or not?" Hayama, in turn, whacked the seafood specialist over the head with his left hand, since it was closer to the ravenette.

Mayu placed a piping hot dish of her Purple Plum Curry on the counter next to Hayama, Ryō, and Sōma and stated, "While I wasn't lying about not caring about the judges, I did put some effort into this dish together so my friends can enjoy it."

Sōma sniffed the air and said, "Mmm, the scent of plums mix well with the spices you used. Oh? I smell something in the curry that Kon hates."

Mayu giggled and said, "I know, but unfortunately it binds everything together. Besides, Kon doesn't eat curry that often anyway." Sōma chuckled out a "That's too true."

Despite the "odd" conversation and the fact that Yukihira Mayu didn't seem to care about the judges liking her dish, the five judges took a bite of the purple curry.

Ryō bluntly stated in his usual lackadaisical tone, "Itadakimasu (1)..." before scooping a spoonful of the purple curry into his mouth. Hayama and Sōma did the same.

The image of a tip of a purple ballerina's shoe tapped the floor. Then the other ballerina's shoe joined its sister. A spotlight lit on a deep purple plum wearing a light purple ballerina tutu and shoes in the middle of the stage as it started dancing, with the five judges following along to the music in the background, all of whom were wearing the same outfits as the ballerina plum. Tiny specs of mint leaves fluttered down from the ceiling.

"How..." was all Natsume was able to get out before finally asking/shouting, "How on Earth were you able to use plums so cohesively in curry?!"

Mayu waved off the blonde woman by saying, "Through trial and error, duh. I had to do a lot of testing when I decided to use plums. It was a pain in the ass to do, especially since I had to work on my Animation and Judging our Menu Contest back home. Those two were actually important." It was a little too obvious that Yukihira Mayu wasn't trying to hide the fact that she was still peeved about being in the Autumn Elections. Then again, considering that she's not a Totsuki student...

But still... She was able to make an oddly cohesive dish like her Plum Curry, of which the judges seem to like... It made the other Totsuki students wonder...

The Judges imputed their scores and then hit the button to submit them. 88, tied with Shun and Marui for 4th place.

"Cht, seriously?" Mayu said in a sour tone, before adding in an annoyed tone, "I'm not participating in this crap longer than I have to." Shun and Marui glanced at each other for a bit, not really sure how to really respond.

Sōma then told his sister, "Mayu, can you at least be a bit more considerate for our dormmates. They're in this event too, ya'know."

Mayu eyed the side and said, "I know, I know. But I just want this to end so I can take a nap. I guess I'm a bit cranky due to lack of sleep."

Sōma rubbed his neck and said, "Yeah, I can understand. Plus, you haven't really been sleeping well over the Summer Break because of your workload." Hayama and Ryō could hear Mayu mutter a "Don't remind me."

'Isn't that an unhealthy habit to have?' Hayama wondered to himself. Then he remembered about how Sōma practically fell asleep sitting on a bar stool while he was cooking his curry. With a sweatdrop, Hayama then thought, 'I guess that one proof that those two are twins...'

At that moment someone towering bumped passed Sōma, it was a little too obvious that it was on purpose. "Whoops. Sorry. Didn't see you there, Transfer Student."

"That's original. How long did it take you to come up with that?" Sōma stated sarcastically, not even bothering to turn an ear towards the other student. The towering student only smirked at the comment. Mayu glared at him, not liking that stupid smirk on his face.

Five minutes later, the towering student knocked Shun, Marui, and Mayu out of 4th place with his score of 91.

Eizan smirked at this.

~}i{~

After the Preliminaries, everyone from the Polaris Dorm went back to their home away from home for one of Fumio's Congratulation Parties. With Ikumi, Aldini Twins, Ryō, Alice, Hayama, and Shiomi-sensei invited. For the ones who passed the Preliminaries.

It was safe to say that Ikumi, Aldini Twins, Ryō, Alice, Hayama, and Shiomi-sensei were a bit unnerved by Isshiki's "Choice of Clothing" at the Polaris Dorm (to say the least). The poor teacher was so embarrassed that when she covered her eyes and tried to leave the room, she ran into the wall. Fumio helped with the first-aid for that.

After that, the dorm partied.

~}i{~

The next morning, Isshiki asked Sōma and Megumi to join him for an assignment off school grounds.

Megumi was completely shocked by the pure fact that Isshiki-senpai was wearing a business suit, something more than his usual apron. It was just... Unusual to even witness, to say the least.

"Megumi, something wrong?" was all Sōma asked when he heard the country girl gasp in shock.

Isshiki smiled and said, "I guess she's just surprised that I'm wearing a more professional than my usual attire."

Sōma chuckled nervously before saying, "No offense Senpai, but anything is "More Professional" than your "Usual Attair"... However, any clothing on you other than your apron would be a bit strange."

Isshiki couldn't help but laugh as he helped the blind redhead into the taxi. The second-year student then told the taxi driver their destination.

}{

Well... it was safe to say that both Megumi and Sōma didn't expect something like this to happen, but then again... After Isshiki wearing actual clothing, it isn't all That surprising.

"You want us to fill-in for a children's cooking class?" both Megumi and Sōma said at the same when they arrived at their destination and Isshiki-senpai told them what they were going to be doing.

Isshiki-senpai nodded and explained, "Yes. You see, DEF Kitchen Cooking Class buys the Polaris Garden vegetables for their ingredients. They have a kids' cooking class, that teach the basics to kids from preschool up to second-grade. But the other day the headteacher twisted her ankle, so she came to me for advice on some quick short-term substitutes." Isshiki-senpai was wearing his pink bear printed apron over his business suit, this caused Megumi to have an 'of course' look on her face and made her wonder why he even dressed-up for today.

Megumi read the list of things that the class was learning to cook today, "The main dish today is fried gyoza! Along with ham-and-egg fried rice and Chinese seaweed soup, making three total dishes."

Isshiki-senpai happily said, "Right. Gyoza are easy enough for kids to make. Anyway, I'll leave the rest up to the two of you."

Sōma raised a brow and asked, "Huh? Where are you going, Isshiki-senpai?"

The 2nd-year student smiled at his underclassmen and said, "I'll be next door. I've been asked to teach the Adults 'Cooking Class. So I'm really glad you two could help today." To Sōma and Megumi, it seemed a little too obvious that the 17-year-old student was very popular with the ladies and that class.

And with that, Megumi and Sōma were left with a group of kids... So… How are the two of them going to teach them how to cook when none of the kids seem to be even paying attention to what had just transpired?

Megumi watched as the children were running a wound the kitchen, playing with toys that they brought with them or drawing on paper. How on earth would they get these children to follow their instructions?

Sōma felt around the tabletop. After finding a small kitchen knife and some carrots, the blind redhead worked a little magic.

"Whoa! Look at that!" One of the kids exclaimed. Sōma had carved an intricate looking rose from the carrots. In the blind redhead wasn't done yet. The next thing he made was a Gundam figuring from carrots and other vegetables that were nearby. The kids "aww"ed in amazement.

"Ney, Megumi, ya want to make something?" Sōma asked the country girl with a smile, indicating to her to play along. So Megumi did and made a bunch of cute little zoo animals from vegetables. This was completely amazed the little kids. Now Megumi was very glad that her mom taught her to make those.

As soon as he got everyone's attention, Sōma told all the kids, "So how about bringing me to where the sinks are so we can wash our hands and start cooking."

All the kids looked at the sink that was not even a meter away from where Sōma was standing. One of the kids pointed to the sink and said, "Mister the sinks are over there."

Sōma chuckled a bit before saying, "Over where? If you're pointing, it won't be of much help to me."

That was when the oldest child there (in 2nd grade), a blonde haired girl with twin-tails wearing a long blue shirt and red and white stockings, stated in a tone that seemed to indicate that she was both bored and annoyed as she played on her cell phone, "What're'ya, blind? The sink's in front of your face, so quit fooling around!"

Sōma gave a dramatic huff, folded his arms, and stated, "You don't have to be a rude meany about it. You're not going to make any friends with an attitude like that, little missy."

That was when one of the little girls asked Sōma, "Wait a minute... Nii-chan, are you really blind?"

Sōma grinned, wagged his right hand with his index finger extended from side-to-side, and said cheerfully, "Bing-bong! I am, but don't think I'm incapable of anything. Especially since Megumi-nee-chan and I will be teaching this class today." All the kids looked up at the blind redhead with confused looks on their faces. The oldest girl only 'hmph' and went back to playing on her phone. "Come on, let's go wash our hands," Sōma told everyone with a smile.

And with that, the Cooking Class started.

}i{ Time Skip, Close to the End of the Class (Sorry, but again, it's pretty much the same sequence as the manga) }i{

By now all of the children were happily cooking, all thanks to Megumi and Sōma.

"Hey, Nii-chan," The blond twin-tailed girl said, getting Sōma's attention. She then asked, "Why do you cook when you're blind?"

Sōma was quiet for a bit before smiling sadly and saying, "I've always loved cooking, ever since I picked up a cooking knife. I'll admit, it really broke my heart when I was told I wasn't going to see anything again... And I did lose my will to cook..."

The children were really quiet. Megumi was the one to ask, "Sōma... Wait? But how did you get back into cooking? I mean, you're obviously an amazing chef now."

Sōma chuckled and said, "She asked if I was quitting my dream."

}i{ Flashback: Sōma (and Mayu), Age 6, After They Were Released from the Hospital }i{

Little Sōma was sitting in a corner as everyone else played outside, tears streaming down his cheeks. It took him a while to find this corner since he wasn't use to using a cane to get around. All of the sounds seem louder and all the smells seem stronger to the recently blinded boy... And it scared him... Not being able to see anything but being able to hear and smell all these things...

"You skipped your lunch duty," Sōma heard Her say. The blind boy's head shot up, wondering how he didn't notice that She was here. Then he remembered that his eyes no longer worked.

"I would've missed tha pwate..." little Sōma stated sadly, knowing that it was going to happen.

"That's not what I meant," She stated sternly, before adding, "YOU skipped a task that was related to food. You never do that."

"There's no point anymore..." Sōma muttered.

"No point in what anymore?" She asked in a curious but stern tone, trying to get the child to talk a bit more.

Little Sōma finally said, "I can't see anymore, so there's no point in cooking anymore..."

Things went quiet. It actually scared the little redhead more than all the noise.

That was She then stated sternly, "So you're just going to give up doing what you love? On your dream of running Yukihira? Just like that? Without even trying?"

Little Sōma's head shot up towards Her voice in shock. He never expected Her to say something that. "But..." was all the little redhead was able to get out.

"You can still use your hands, right?" She stated sternly.

"Yes, but-!" little Sōma said.

"You can still taste with your tongue, right?" She stated sternly.

"Yes, bu-!" little Sōma got out again.

"You can still smell with your nose, right?" She stated sternly.

"Yes, bu-!" little Sōma got out once again.

"You still love to cook, right?" She asked sternly.

Little Sōma was quiet for a good ten seconds before finally saying, "Yes..."

Little Sōma heard Her move, kneeling to his level, and he heard Her ask, "Then why do you want to give up on cooking?" The little redhead lowered his head, unsure how to respond.

Little Sōma felt Her place a hand on top of his head before saying, "Listen, you've just had a big setback, that's all. *Chuckles* Besides, knowing you, you'll learn how to overcome this." Little Sōma felt Her hand move off his head to wipe away the tears on his cheeks. "Remember, having a Disability doesn't mean you have to be disabled, having a Disability only means you have to do things differently, that's all," She said in a happier tone, tapping little Sōma's nose with her index finger.

}i{ End Flashback }i{

Sōma chuckled and said, "Yeah, She was a little bit harsh when she said that but she was making a point. I was going to let my new disability take over who I was... I guess you can call that Tough Love." All of the children were silent during this. Sōma smiled and said, "After that, I asked Pops to help me with re-learning how to cook. He and Mom made sure I was safe while I figured out how to cook without sight. It wasn't easy, but it was worth it. I was able to continue what I loved doing the most."

Remembering where he was, Sōma rubbed the back of his neck nervously and said, "Ah, sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to tell you all that." Three seconds later, all of the children jumped on Sōma in a group hug and told him to never stop cooking as tears streamed down their cheeks. "Oi, oi, oi! I was never going to stop cooking no matter what people tell me!" Sōma got out over the children.

As Megumi and Sōma tried to calm down the children, Isshiki-senpai was standing right outside the door, leaning against the wall. He had heard the entire thing.

~}i{ Time Skip }i{~

Sōma entered the room where Erina, Eizan, and Isshiki were, to tell the blind redhead what the theme of his match.

"Yo, Isshiki-senpai," Sōma said cheerfully before asking, "Any particular reason why you couldn't just tell me this back at the dorm?" It seems like the blind redhead has yet to noticed the two former Elite 10 members in the room.

Isshiki smiled and said, "I know, but the theme has to be told in this office to make it completely official." Sōma nodded, understanding what his dormmate was saying. Isshiki looked over the paper in his hand and said, "Now, the random draw picked you to go in the first quarterfinal match. Your theme will be Bento."

Sōma raised a brow when he asked, "Bento? As in a regular box lunch?"

Isshiki smiled and said, "Exactly. Take this evening to make whatever preparations you need and then do your best in tomorrow's match! Any questions?"

Sōma brought the second knuckle of his right index finger to his chin and asked, "Another "Common" dish theme for the Autumn Elections... I'm starting to think that this whole thing isn't all that it's cracked up to be."

That was when Erina snapped, "What on Earth are you talking about? Don't you know anything? Bento box lunches are a venerable culinary tradition that is uniquely Japanese. While other nations may emulate them, no one in the world is better than we do. Elegantly designed and prepared bento featuring the highest-quality ingredients of the seasons are loved by gourmands. In fact, they are so respected by master chefs the world over that "Bento" has been adopted by the French as a loanword and has an entry in the French dictionary. As a true asset of Haute cuisine, bento is a bit and an appropriate theme for this contest. It is a completely different dish than a comment B-Grade gourmet you somehow have a knack for."

Sōma scoffed when he said, "Like I said, this whole Election isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Especially when you consider just how uneducated certain members of the Autumn Election committee actually are." This really seems to piss off Erina and Eizan.

"Oh?" Isshiki got out, rubbing his index finger against his chin, then saying, "It seems to me that our Former Elite 10 Members did something more than just get themselves booted off the Elite 10. Exactly what rule they break to earn such an animosity from You of all people?"

Sōma huffed before growing out, "I really rather not talk about it, so can we get back to discussing the match?" Isshiki actually seemed rather surprised by the uncharacteristically angry quip from the blind redhead. And quite frankly, it worried the second-year-student a bit, not just for Sōma...

That was when Eizan stood up from his desk and stated, "Formalities aside, the other contestant just arrived. I will go let them in."

That was when Sōma wondered what exactly his opponent for this match was.

~}i{ The Next Day… In Heaven's Moon Arena }i{~

The arena quickly filled with a quiet excitement. The crowd eagerly awaiting the clash between young talents.

It wouldn't be long before the match actually started, but the arena was a ready filled with excitement. Ikumi and Isami were sitting with the Polaris dorm members as they eagerly await the start of the first quarterfinal match.

At the head of the judging table sat Nakiri Senzaemon, this made the students sitting in the arena feel like there was more pressure this time around than in the preliminaries.

The announcer finally announced that they would begin the first quarterfinal match and asked for the contestants to walk into the arena.

Sōma walked into the arena, somehow carrying his apron and his knives (inside his case) in one arm and his cane in his other hand.

Already the arena was murmuring about the blind redhead. Most of them were known gourmets who were wondering what this unknown was capable of, especially since this particular student was blind.

A few seconds after Sōma entered the arena, Nakiri Alice walked in from the opposite side.

"HIS OPPONENT IS A NAKIRI!?" was the unanimous dialogue from pretty much everyone in the stadium.

As Alice past her grandfather, she waved at him as both of the contestants walk towards the center of the stadium.

Anyone who knew molecular gastronomy knew exactly who Nakiri Alice was. In Europe seven years ago, it was during the molecular gastronomy's most prestigious international competition. As a famous name after famous name receives their awards… Imagine everyone's surprise when they saw a young girl probably around nine-years-old stepping forward to receive an award of her own. She went on to receive almost all the awards there were to win. By the time she was 10-years-old, she had successfully obtained 45 times and was contracted with over 20 different restaurants for research into new menu items.

Nakiri Alice is molecular biology's prodigal child, a certified genius! Of all the first-year students in the Institute, no one can refute that she is the one closest to being named to the Council of 10.

Alice then had a small truckload of molecular gastronomy devices brought into the arena while Sōma placed his set of knives on his side of the stadium. The blind redhead didn't seem to feel a single ounce of pressure as he tied on his apron and signature bandanna on as if this was another day on the job.

The announcer finally announced over the speaker system, "The theme for the first quarterfinal round is Bento! Contestants, you have two hours to complete your dish! Also, the conditions for your Shokugeki have been approved by the Shokugeki Administration Department. Therefore, this match is also a Shokugeki!"

This caused everyone but the headmaster to murmur in confusion. "A Shokugeki?" "In the middle of the Autumn Elections?" "For real?"

The announcer went on, "Here is where the Shokugeki stands… If Yukihira Sōma wins, Nariki Alice is to stop her current romantic advancement towards Yukihira Sōma. If Nakiri Alice wins, Yukihira Sōma is to accept Nakiri's proposal of marriage."

~}i{~

To be Continued in Chapter 11.

~}i{~

Omake: Summer Time at Shokujidokoro Yukihira.

}{ July 9, Summer Job Day 8 }{

Shiomi-sensei was angry. Mind you she doesn't get angry often unless someone insults spices. So Hayama was actually hiding in the kitchen at the moment where Sōma was currently making some snacks, because of this out of character anger from his legal guardian.

Currently, Mayu was out looking for references for her project while Hiro had the day off and was with a friend.

An anger mark was clearly visible on Shiomi-sensei's forehead when she snapped at a rather terrified Nikiri Erina, Eizan Etsuya, Kinokuni Nene, Akanegakubo Momo, Kobayashi Rindou, and Tsukasa Eishi, "Explain to me how SIX of the Elite 10 could FAIL this test a SECOND TIME?!"

They all flinched. It was one thing to be yelled at by a non-Totsuki student for failing the test, but it was another thing to be yelled for failing a test by a staff of Totsuki. And one who hardly ever get angry, none the less.

"Wow, Shiomi-sensei's a different person when she's mad, huh, Hayama," Sōma told the dark-skinned teen, who was sitting on a bar stool in the corner of the kitchen, carefully cutting the skin off an apple.

Hayama nodded and said, "Yeah, but I usually see that side when one of the students degrade the value of spices in one way or another. Trust me on when I say, not a pleasant thing..."

Sōma chuckled nervously when he said, "Pops' is 10x worse when he feels that his kids are being pursued romantically."

This earned a weird glance from Hayama before he asked, "Wait, you haven't told him about Nakiri Alice?"

Sōma placed the snacks on a tray and said, "After The Bloody Valentine's Day Massacre, let's just say telling Pops something like that would be a very bad idea." Hayama had absolutely no idea what the blind redhead was talking about, but having a title like that... It made Hayama wonder what exactly happened on that particular Valentine's Day to give it that kind of title.

"FORGET COOKING SKILLS! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE TO ANY SEAT OF THE ELITE TEN!" Shiomi-sensei shouted. Hayama felt a volt of fear course down his spine. Sōma could feel his ears ringing a bit because of the sudden noise. The yelling was a very unexpected thing to hear from the short teacher.

"Ano... Did we come at a bad time?" an unsure voice came to the entranceway to the diner. It was Yūki-san, followed by Tsukui-sensei. To the Elite sitting at one of the larger booths, the daycare teacher easily towered over the shorter ginger-haired woman because of their height difference.

Sōma's ears perked at the familiar voice before he said, "Oh, Yūki-san, I thought you were working today."

The ginger-haired woman smiled and said, "I have today off. So do Kaede, Ryoko, Toshiko, and Michio."

Sōma carried the tray over to the short teacher and said, "Oh, you planning on doing a Girls Night Out sort of thing?"

"Not really, just Kaede, Misaki, and I. But that pighead's got it in her brain that all us girls should," Tsukui-sensei stated as she and Yūki-san walked over to a free table near the 6 Elites (Saitou was doing inventory in the back at the moment). The daycare teacher then growled out an, "And the Last thing I want is for her to think I have forgiven her for That Disgusting Incident," as she sat down at one of the chairs.

Sōma placed the tray in front of Shiomi-sensei and said to the new arrivals, "Meh, I don't blame ya. I mean, that wasn't right no matter how you dice it. I know I would feel the same way if it happened to me, same with Mayu and Hiro. And I know Mayu'll probably do what you nearly did, Sensei." Yūki-san let out a nervous chuckle because it was true.

Tsukasa was the one unfortunate enough to ask, "Ano, what happened exactly to make you so mad at her, Tsukui-san?"

The daycare teacher glared at the white-haired teen and growled out, "The damn bitch broke into my unit, threw out every single article of clothing in it, and replaced them with all those stupid high-end brand names that weren't even in my size! I had nothing to wear for work and Yumi didn't have any of her school uniform to wear!" Tsukasa immediately hid behind Kobayashi out of fear and quickly regretted his decision to ask.

Yūki-san made a calm down motion with her hands and said, "Now, now, Michio, let's not get worked up. You and Yumi-chan got brand new articles of all your original clothing, and got a brand new lock for your door and windows." Michio folded her arms and "Hmph"ed. The ginger-haired woman then said, "Besides, Kaede's going to be here in a bit and you know how she'll get if she sees you peeved like this."

A ting of pink dusted the daycare teacher's cheeks. She knew the shorter woman was right...

Sōma walked over to the two women's table and asked, "Do you want me to start on all your usuals or do you want to wait for Airia-sensei to arrive before you order?"

Yūki-san answered with, "We'll wait for her, but would it be too much trouble if you could get us three glasses of water?" Sōma nodded and walked back towards the kitchen, where Hayama was peaking out of the opening that showed the kitchen from the diner.

Tsukui-sensei eyed the short teacher and asked, "I take it those six still failed the important test that'll allow them to participate in the Menu Contest?"

Shiomi-sensei glared at the six in question and said, "It's a little too obvious that Totsuki should turn the Allergy/Intolerance Lecture into an actual Claas Course. *Looks at the papers in her hand* The best grade here is a 60%, and that's not even a passing grade by standard educational standards."

Yūki-san looked at the Elites with a raised brow when she asked, "Ano, maybe you kids should enter next year's Menu Contest. Especially if none of you are very knowledgeable in Allergies and/or Intolerances. And considering that there's already one of each participating in the contest already..."

Tsukui-sensei narrowed her eyes at the Six Elites when she asked, "Do any of you kids actually know the difference between Allergies and Intolerances?" It was a fair question, all things considering.

The Six Elites gave their answers, all pretty much saying that the differences between the two were the name and level of severity.

Hayama stared at the Elites from the kitchen, Shiomi-sensei frowned at them, and Yūki-san and Tsukui-sensei gave them a "Seriously" look on their faces. NOT what they were expecting...

Tsukui-sensei rubbed her temples before saying, "Cht, there's a BIG difference between Allergies and Intolerances. Listen, I'll tell you kids the difference. However, I'm only telling you once, so you better take some notes, got it."

Nene was the one to ask, "How would you know these things? You a daycare teacher?"

Tsukui-sensei sighed, shook her head, and stated sternly, "It's mandatory for anyone who's in young childcare jobs to know about Allergies and Intolerances." Yūki-san vocalized that that was true.

While the Six Elites weren't completely sure, they took out their notepads and pencils.

Once the daycare teacher saw those, she started explaining,"When someone has an Intolerance they usually don't have the Enzymes for that particular food. You see, Enzymes are needed to digest foods fully. If some of these enzymes are missing, or insufficient, proper digestion may be undermined. However, there are certain individuals that actually have Intolerances to certain chemicals in food. For example, the amines in some cheeses, and caffeine in coffee, tea, and chocolates. Usually, people with Intolerances tend to experience nausea, bloating, heartburn, indigestion, vomiting, pain in the abdomen, fatigue, irritability and... Well, let's just say the large intestines will be their enemy for a bit. A lot of times people with intolerance experience a combination of symptoms."

Tsukasa was the one to bring up, "Oh, that Kon girl from yesterday had an intolerance to chocolate! Does that mean she has a Chemical Intolerance to the caffeine in the chocolate?" All of the Six Elites had the image of the tall amber-eyed girl with the mossy green hair.

Tsukui-sensei shook her head and said, "Not the caffeine, but she does fall under the having a Chemical Intolerance category. From what I got from her and her mother, it seems to be the chemical reaction to the ingredients binding together that they don't seem to tolerate well."

That was when Yūki-san said, "Ah, right. They can eat the ingredients in chocolate separately without much problem, but can't eat them when they are mixed together to make chocolate." The daycare teacher nodded at that.

Tsukui-sensei continued, "As for Allergies. Those can be deadly. A food allergy happens when your immune system mistakenly identifies a specific food or a substance in food as something harmful. In response, your immune system triggers cells to release an antibody known as immunoglobulin E (IgE) to neutralize the allergy-causing food or food substance (the allergen). The symptoms for food allergies are tingling or itching in the mouth, Hives, itching or eczema, swelling of the lips, face, tongue, and throat or other parts of the body, wheezing, nasal congestion or trouble breathing, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting. In some people, a food allergy can cause severe symptoms or even a life-threatening reaction is known as anaphylaxis. When someone goes into anaphylaxis shock they experience Constriction and tightening of the airways, swollen throat or the sensation of a lump in your throat that makes it difficult to breathe, shock with a severe drop in blood pressure, rapid pulse, dizziness, lightheadedness or loss of consciousness. It's important to get emergency treatment for someone who goes into anaphylaxis because if they don't get the treatment in time they can go into a coma, or even die."

The Six Elites stopped writing, feeling that the whole thing went dark pretty quickly. All of them wondered if something like that could really happen.

Sōma came back with three glasses of water for the women. Saitou came out from the back the moment the blind redhead placed the tray on the table. Yūki-san took one glass as Tsukui-sensei took the two other glasses and placed one at an empty seat, for their friend who will be arriving soon.

Nikiri Erina, Eizan Etsuya, Kinokuni Nene, Akanegakubo Momo, Kobayashi Rindou, and Tsukasa Eishi looked over their notes and test papers. Maybe they should do some more studying before they take the test again.

Alice and Ryō came in a few minutes later. The Albino happily signed-up for the Menu Contest, under Main Course.

~}i{~

To be Continued in the next Omake.

~}i{~

1\. Itadakimasu is often translated as "I humbly receive," but in a mealtime setting, it's compared to "Let's eat," "Bon appétit," or "Thanks for the food." in Japanese.

~}i{~

 **Gale-Dragon** : Oh, boy... What's Sōma gotten himself into? -_-. I decided to add some info about Allergies and Intolerances, because, A) it's important and B) Someone need to educate the Six Elites. Anyway, Constructive Criticism is welcomed, but be advised that rudeness and flaming are not welcomed.


End file.
